The purpose of this Purchasing Manual is to assist all school district employees with the proper purchasing practices to be in full compliance with:
- New Jersey Public School Contracts Law—N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-1 et seq.;
- New Jersey Administrative Code—N.J.A.C. 5:34-1 et seq.;
- Board of Education Policy;
- Federal Procurement Code—2 CFR 200.317 et seq., when applicable;
- NJQSAC Fiscal DPR Indicator #15;
- Local Finance Notices – NJ Division of Local Government Services; and
- Other laws and administrative codes when applicable.
The Purchasing Manual is designed to achieve three (3) goals:
- Compliance with the law, code, and board policy on purchasing;
- Promote efficiency in purchasing practices; and
- Achieve savings through proper purchasing practices.
We ask you, the purchasing system user, to help achieve these goals through proper planning. Please allow yourself enough leeway between generating a purchase order and the actual date materials or services are needed. Please think of purchasing in terms of a whole year. What items and services do you need on an annual basis? Through proper planning, we can eliminate much of the frustration encountered with all public school purchasing procedures.
Deliberative Process
Public school purchasing is indeed a time-consuming effort; please be patient.
Compliance with Law; Code; Board Policy
Public school purchasing is a deliberative process designed to ensure compliance with the Public School Contracts Law, appropriate New Jersey Administrative code, board of education policy, and, when applicable, Federal Procurement Code.
Limit Fraud
The deliberative process also encompasses checks and balances and internal controls to limit fraudulent activities.
Mandatory Training
All school personnel involved in the requisition and purchasing process shall attend mandatory training sessions concerning proper purchasing procedures. The training will be presented in two (2) sessions:
Session I—Purchasing Procedures
All administrators, supervisors, and principals, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 5:34-1.1 (b), shall attend this mandatory training session on purchasing procedures.
Session II—Requisition and Purchase Order Process
All secretaries involved in preparing requisitions and purchase orders shall attend this mandatory training session.