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…

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)

Shows school business officials how to detect and avoid bid rigging, price fixing, and other types of unlawful collusion prohibited by the Sherman Antitrust Act. School administrators should expand the list of bidders, consolidate purchases as a defensive tactic, consider reletting the contract in tie-bid situations, recognize the elements of…

Michigan has long advocated local control of education, a philosophy that particularly applies to purchasing school buses. To counter adverse legal actions stemming from noncompetitive bidding practices, the Michigan School Business Officials and the Michigan Association for Pupil Transportation collaborated to develop a comprehensive,…

An examination of statutes and case law reveals that in most states the employment of architects and engineers by public school districts is exempt from competitive bidding procedures. (MLF)

Outsourcing of school services creates a need for educators to learn how best to select a contractor. Contracted student transportation is used to illustrate flexibility and creativity in writing a request for proposal, the evaluation process, and the importance of contractors' willingness to work alongside the district as a genuine business…

Both public and not-for-profit private schools contract with private vendors for specialized services. Current advocates of the privatization of public education are looking to extend privatization into the areas of management and instruction. Describes experiences of the Edison Project and Educational Alternatives, Inc. Offers advice to school…