Procurement Manager
Laurie Peiffer
Welcome to the purchasing department of the Downingtown Area School District. For questions or information, please contact Laurie Peiffer via email.
Downingtown Area School District periodically participates in Bids and RFPs, however no longer participates in line item bidding for general school/office supplies. Partnering with various vendors to provide on-line ordering as needed has proven to be time and cost effective. Office Depot is currently the primary office supply vendor under the TCPN contract. Other on-line vendors include School Specialty, Kurtz and Becker’s.
All active BIDS and RFPs are advertised on the website and documents and results can be viewed through the link provided on the home purchasing page.
Downingtown does make the effort to obtain quotations on all products ordered and is happy to keep your information on file so that you are notified when quotations are needed and notified of bidding and RFP opportunities.
Every school in the Downingtown Area School District has a budget to purchase materials, supplies and services necessary to support the school’s daily operations. All school administrators are responsible for understanding and following the district’s policies and procedures for purchasing materials, supplies and services.
The Downingtown Area School District is required to follow ALL procurement requirements controlling the purchase of materials, supplies and equipment for use in public schools throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. These include the Uniform Commercial Code, state laws and federal regulations.
PA School Code 807, as amended, establishes the primary legal requirements to be followed in the purchase of materials, supplies and equipment as such:
Purchases between $11,800 and 21,900 must have three quotations unless the purchase is made from an “approved” vendor. It is recommended that three quotes are received for ALL purchases between 11,800 and 21,900. Please notify the purchasing department for assistance.
Purchases over 21,900 must be advertised and publicly bid, unless an "approved" vendor is used. Please notify the purchasing department for assistance.
An approved vendor is a vendor that is part of a legal purchasing consortium.
NOTE: The fact that a school district is under no legal requirement to obtain competitive pricing should in no way supersede the responsibility of the purchasing department to ensure that the district is getting the best value for the best price.
IMPORTANT: Purchasing amount thresholds apply to the DISTRICT. The total spend must include all predictable products, district-wide, for the entire fiscal year. Examples include copy paper, technology items, supplies, custodial supplies and furniture. If the total of school/district purchases for like items will equal more than $11,800, then procurement rules for purchases greater than $11,800 apply.
NOTE: As of July 1, 2016, the Downingtown Board of School Directors has approved the requirement that 3 quotes must be obtained for all purchases over $5,000.
APPROVED VENDORS
A vendor is the company or organization that sells the items or provides the services that you would like to purchase. Vendors that are part of an approved purchasing consortium are recommended. DASD is approved to participate in the following purchasing consortiums:
Chester County Intermediate Unit Contracts – copy paper, technology, binder combs, custodial supplies, Percent Discount Catalog Bid, Fuel Oil and Trash Removal. Please contact Sharon Freemont at the CCIU for additional information. www.cciu.org
State Contracts – PA State Contract, COSTARS, DGS, PA Federal Surplus Property.
Association of Educational Purchasing Agencies (AEPA) – KPN, PAEJPC, PEPPM, NJPA, TCPN
National Contracts – US Communities, GSA Technology Schedule 70.
DISTRICT SURPLUS ITEMS
All surplus items in the district must be approved for sale or disposal by the building principal, technology and curriculum if applicable, and the DASD Board of Directors. The Facilities Department picks up approved surplus items for sale, from the buildings, in June and December.
DISTRICT POLICY
Downingtown School Board Policy can be referenced for purchasing authority and guidelines.
