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Board questions purchasing reports: routing software, charter buses and school menus
Summary
Board members pressed purchasing staff on replacement of outdated routing software, details of vetted charter bus vendors (no cost estimates listed), and school nutrition costs (USDA reimbursement $4.71 per lunch); staff agreed to provide clearer thresholds and revised reports.
Purchasing staff told the board the current routing software is over 10 years old and a replacement is needed to support enrollment balancing and updated GIS work. Staff said they are moving to a new vendor and have engaged a GIS engineer as part of that effort.
On charter buses, staff explained the district maintains a preferred provider list (five vetted vendors) so individual schools can select vendors by price for specific trips; board members asked why purchasing reports list the vendors without cost estimates and asked for clearer thresholds when a school purchase should come before the board. Staff said the costs vary by vendor and trip and that if a purchase exceeds the board’s procurement threshold it will be returned for approval. The board directed purchasing to revise the report presentation and, when appropriate, bring significant transportation expenditures to the board for approval.
Nutrition staff explained that USDA reimburses roughly $4.71 per lunch and the district aims to run a food cost about 40% of that reimbursement and labor about 45%, leaving limited margin for menu changes. Staff said pizza is offered daily but other choices are also available and menus are posted online.
