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District staff reviews purchasing thresholds, co‑op options under Act 97
Summary
District staff reviewed state and federal purchasing thresholds, explained Act 97 direct‑purchase limits, and outlined cooperative purchasing options such as CoStars, KPN, PPM and Omnia Partners.
Sam, a district staff member, gave the board a short presentation on purchasing rules, state and federal thresholds, and cooperative‑purchasing options used by school districts.
The presentation focused on three procurement categories: routine furniture/equipment/supplies (state policy section 807), construction/reconstruction/repairs and maintenance, and Act 97 purchasing thresholds. Sam said, “we can direct purchase up to the $1,212,008 99,” and explained that thresholds are adjusted annually for inflation. He told the board the district generally seeks three quotes between the mid thresholds and uses competitive bidding for purchases above the higher threshold.
Sam explained that cooperative purchasing (“co‑op”) contracts can replace a public competitive bidding process for many purchases, but noted differences between federal and state fund rules. He said Pennsylvania CoStars is widely used by districts for state‑funded purchases but is not eligible for federal‑funded purchases. He listed several purchasing groups the district has considered: CoStars, KPN, PPM and Omnia Partners, and advised that the district often asks vendors to negotiate pricing even when using co‑op contracts. “You can negotiate with them,” Sam said of CoStars vendors.
Board members asked for clarity in future materials. One board member asked whether anything in the presentation conflicted with the district’s procurement policies or state law; Sam answered, “Nothing different,” and said the presentation was educational. The board also asked that future slides spell out full names of purchasing groups before using acronyms.
The presentation described current procurement practice: the district is seeking bids now for next fiscal year routine purchases and has one competitive bid posted with two more coming. Sam said the district has encouraged some local contractors to register on CoStars and listed categories where local contractors had signed up: electrical, HVAC, general construction, painting and furniture.
The board did not take formal action at the meeting; the presentation closed as an informational item with board members asking staff to provide clearer written materials on thresholds and to spell out acronyms going forward.
