Accounts Payable

PURCHASING

Purchasing allows us to have the necessary materials, supplies and equipment to successfully perform Dieringer’s primary responsibility—educating our students! We are responsible for initiating and maintaining effective and professional relationships with suppliers, and we serve as the channel through which all requests regarding products and prices are handled.

With the exception of textbooks, the manner in which we procure furniture, supplies, equipment, building improvements or repairs, or other work or purchases for the district must be in compliance with RCW 28A.335.190.

BIDDING OPPORTUNITIES & PROPOSALS

Thank you for your interest in doing business with Dieringer School District. If bid opportunities are available, they will be listed here. Bids typically consist of supplies and/or equipment expected to cost $75,000.00 or more. From time to time, the district may also seek bids for goods or services of any value if deemed appropriate.

CURRENT BIDS

CURRENT BIDS

Cooperative Agreements

Chapter 39.34.040 RCW, the Interlocal Cooperation Act, provides the authority for Washington State agencies such as Dieringer School District to contract with other governmental entities. The law was revised in the 2006 legislative session and requires Interlocal Agreements either be filed with county recording offices, or published at a location electronically accessible by the public.

To satisfy this requirement, Dieringer School District has elected to publish a list of Interlocal, Interagency, and Intergovernmental Agreements on this web page. The list below contains the agreements

CURRENT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

CURRENT COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

PURCHASING GUIDELINES

Purchasing in the Dieringer School District follows Federal and State guidelines.

FEDERAL PROCUREMENT PROCESS

Decide what goods and/or services are required.
If over $10,000, obtain adequate quotes or bids (depending on purchase threshold).
Contact the District Office Business Manager for assistance if your purchase requires formal quotes.
Choose the vendor that best meets the requirements.
Perform suspension/debarment verification on chosen vendor (SAM.gov - take a screenshot and print it).
Establish vendor contract (for professional services).
Fill out Federal Procurement From to verify all necessary steps have been taken for compliance with federal procurement procedures.
Create purchase requisition.
Attach Federal Procurement Form, quotes, contract, and SAM screenshot to purchase requisition.

FEDERAL PROCUREMENT PURCHASING THRESHOLDS

Micro Purchase - No required quotes, price must be reasonable and distributed among suppliers

Goods - $10,000 or Less
Services - $10,000 or Less

Informal Quotes Required - Obtain/Document quotes from at least three qualified sources

Goods - $10,001 - $74,999
Services - $10,001 - $149,999

Formal Competitive Bids Required - Contact the Business Office/Purchasing for assistance

Goods - $75,000 or more
Services - $250,000 or more

FEDERAL PROCUREMENT CHECKLIST

SMALL PURCHASES GUIDELINES

Click document to view both pages.

First page of the PDF file: SmallPurchasesGuide

Purchasing Tips & Best Practices

Check 3 vendors for the best price.
Verify company’s billing address, which is most often different than the company’s purchasing address
Don’t order before a break; orders are often returned when no one is present to receive them.
When your order arrives, verify receipt of all goods. Products will occasionally be missing.
Purchases must be made during the current school year; product cannot be received or paid for during a current year for the use in the following school year.

Why do we do this process anyway?

Vendors are not overpaid because invoices are verified against requisitions.
Purchases are approved to ensure alignment with program goals and legal budget requirements.
State account code structures remains intact and reporting requirements can be met.
Vendor can rely on prompt payment because information is complete and accurate; unnecessary late fees are avoided.
Major audit issues can be avoided because good internal controls remain intact.
Provides clear documentation and purchase records.
Administrators and board members can rely on more accurate reporting to make informed decisions.
Greater overall efficiency and savings

P-Cards

P-Cards (purchasing cards) are like credit cards for school districts. They provide an alternative to the traditional purchasing process, allowing the employees to purchase goods and occasionally take advantage of discounts from companies who may not accept purchase orders. However, since P-Cards by- pass several steps in the business purchasing cycle, they can create issues or challenges for the district, thus should be used judiciously.

Here are just a few P-Card pitfalls:

Internal controls are compromised
Budgets are not current since purchases are not encumbered (monies not set aside and held for the purchase of the merchandise)
Payment to the bank relies on timely reconciliations
Difficulty retrieving information on past purchases
P-Cards are not allowed for purchasing SERVICES for the district, only goods.