Since July 2007, members of the Association of School Business Officials of Maryland and the District of Columbia have been able to shop for school and curriculum-related supplies through the ASBO MD/DC Web-based shopping platform. This shopping platform comprises 35 catalogs with more than 450,000 line items offered by 225 vendors. ASBO MD/DC's…

Competitive bids and the bid-opening process are the cornerstones of public school purchasing. The bid-opening process does not begin on the day of the bid opening. It begins with good planning by the purchasing agent to ensure that the advertised bid complies with the public school contracts law. In New Jersey, that raises the following…

Over the last 18 months, school district purchasing offices across the country have been tightening the reins like never before while more top-level administrators get involved in the budget process. "When the economy really hit the skids, states got hit hard, so a lot of school districts were forced to make severe budget cuts," says John Musso,…

Before renewing or purchasing additional school insurance, school business officials should identify one person as insurance coordinator, complete and update a risk management audit, develop coverage specifications, determine whether the purchases will be by bid or negotiation, and develop procedures for reviewing policies once they have been…

Describes school purchasing process, examples of illegal or wasteful purchasing activities, a concise ethical guide to school purchasing excerpted from the Texas Agency's Financial Accountability System Resource Guide, and suggestions from experts on how schools can ensure legal and ethical purchasing practices. (PKP)

Describes the advantages and disadvantages of group purchasing. Forty-seven states have laws allowing group purchasing. Includes examples of group purchasing arrangements in Washington, California, New Mexico, and Kentucky. (PKP)

Shares some insights into the school purchasing process. (MLF)

Leading-edge purchasing managers, consultants, and futurists explain the importance of organizational structure, skill sets, technology, supplier relationships, and other crucial areas to their professions. Most predict the need for broad-based knowledge and a growing emphasis on horizontal organizational structures, customer/supplier…

As educators battle restricted budgets, inflation, and enrollment changes, strategic sourcing management is replacing traditional transaction-based procurement. Procurement-card programs, allowing organizations to use credit cards for small purchases or low-value items, save time and enhance controls over merchants, credit limits, issuance limits,…

A brief checklist of relevant issues for school board members, school administrators, and others purchasing microcomputers for use in the schools. (JJD)

Colleges and universities are saving their recyclables for collection, but paying less attention to developing markets for recycled materials. Institutions can help by purchasing recycled paper. Costs can be reduced through contract and consortium buying and user conservation measures. (MSE)

In order to process data in a computer, application software must be either developed or purchased. Costs for modifications of the software package and maintenance are often hidden. The decision to buy or develop software packages should be based upon factors of time and maintenance. (MLF)

Discusses a "Bringing Economy and Efficiency into Purchasing" (BEEP) project in the Onteora Central School District, Boiceville (New York). The project determined that the employment of a part-time purchasing agent was economically justified for an average-sized semirural school district. (Author/MLF)

In addition to legislative accessibility requirements, other security issues facing school administrators who select a security system include the following: access control; user friendliness; durability or serviceability; life safety precautions; possibility of vandalism, theft, and tampering; and key control. Offers steps to take in considering…

The 12 biggest pitfalls in technology administration are school officials' failure to plan, structure a decision-making process, define roles and responsibilities, understand technical requirements, acquire and maintain technology systems properly, provide adequate staff, consider alternative service delivery options, manage projects effectively,…