- D
- Fiscal Management
Boulder Valley School District
Adopted: January 13, 2009
Revised: November 12, 2019, February 28, 2023, June 17, 2025
PURCHASING AND CONTRACTING
Purchases shall be made to obtain the optimum value for each dollar expended and to make efficient and effective use of the School District’s resources. Competition is the basis for all purchasing, unless impractical, inefficient, or impossible. Free and fair vendor competition and impartial evaluation shall be accomplished using methods and actions which uphold the highest ethical standards.
In all purchases, the interests, policies, and objectives of the School District along with the quality, availability, price, and responsibility and responsiveness of the vendor will be considered. The School District reserves the right to cancel any solicitations and reject any and all bids or offers, in whole or in part.
The Superintendent or designee shall have the authority to establish processes and to establish and maintain terms and conditions to govern the School District’s purchasing and contracting.
Authority
The Procurement Department issues purchase orders and is authorized to issue procurement cards for the purchase of goods and services authorized in the School District's adopted budget and purchased in accordance with this policy. Procurement Department staff members are solely authorized to issue, revise or cancel a purchase order drawn on District funds. The Procurement Department administers or oversees any request for proposal or solicitation process.
The Procurement Department may join in cooperative purchasing with other school districts, the State of Colorado, or any other entity where such purchasing benefits the District.
Schools and departments may apply to the Procurement Department for the issuance of procurement cards to authorized employees. All procurement card holders shall use the card only as authorized and shall comply with the procedures established by the Procurement Department and expectations established by their supervisor.
Discretionary Purchases, Quotations, Bids and Requests for Proposals (RFP)
School District staff members are authorized to purchase goods or services within the mission of the School District and budgeted funds consistent with the provisions of this policy. Any terms and conditions must be pre-approved by Procurement or Legal. Multi-year, non-cancellable contracts must be pre-approved by the Chief Financial Officer.
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Directors or Principals |
School District procurement card preferred. |
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Procurements, including solicitations, contracts or awards, shall not be divided for the purpose of circumventing purchasing policy dollar threshold requirements.
Pricing for large volume purchases will be obtained, even if not required, through a quotation process or sealed bid process if significant savings are anticipated.
Special Circumstances
A contract for goods or services may be awarded without competition if the Director of Supply Chain Management pre-approves the purchase and documents that at least one of the following conditions exists:
a.) There exists only one product or service (e.g., textbooks, yearbooks, tests, teaching aids, certain publications, videos, films, software) that can reasonably meet the requirements and there is only one responsible source that can reasonably provide that product or service.
b.) A competitive process cannot reasonably be used or, if used, will result in a substantially higher cost to the District, will otherwise injure the District’s financial interests or will substantially impede the District’s administrative functions or the delivery of services.
c.) A particular supply or service is required to maintain interchangeability or compatibility as a part of an existing integrated system.
d.) A particular supply or service is required in order to standardize or maintain standardization for the purpose of reducing financial investment or simplifying administration.
e.) The product or service is the subject of an insurance claim or a change order.
f.) A particular supply is required to match goods in use, so as to produce visual harmony.
g.) An unusual or unique situation exists that makes the application of competitive solicitation requirements contrary to the best interest of the District.
h.) Professional services, except as required by federal law, with expenditures between $50,000 and $250,000 requiring the approval of the CFO or Superintendent.
Emergency Purchases
If a condition develops that is likely to result in immediate physical injury to persons, damage to School District property, interruption of School District operations, or significant financial loss to the School District if action is not taken immediately, limited emergency purchases can be made without following the competitive bid procedures if the Superintendent or designee so authorizes. Written documentation shall be provided to the Director of Supply Chain Management justifying such emergency purchases.
Recordkeeping
The School District must maintain appropriate and adequate business and procurement records. These records may include, but not necessarily be limited to: rationale for the method of procurement, contractor selection, and the basis for the contract price (including a cost or price analysis). Retention of such procurement records must be in accordance with applicable law and Board policy.
LEGAL REFERENCES
- 2 C.F.R. Part 200 Subpart D (post-award requirements under the federal Uniform Grant
- Guidance)
- 7 C.F.R. 226 (USDA procurement thresholds)
- 7 C.F.R. 3016.36 (USDA’s procurement standards)
- 7 C.F.R. 3016.37 (USDA’s procurement requirements for subgrants)
- 34 C.F.R. Parts 75, 76 (EDGAR - Education Department General Administrative Regulations)
- 48 C.F.R. Subpart 2.1 (micro-purchase and competitive bidding thresholds)
- C.R.S. § 22-32-109(1)(b) (board required to adopt bidding procedures)
- C.R.S. § 22-32-144(4) (background check provision required in service contracts)
- C.R.S. § 22-63-204 (un lawful for any teacher to receive money from the sale of items to students and families without board approval)