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PGCPS purchasing director outlines reforms after audit flags rider contracts and recordkeeping
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Summary
The Prince George's County Public Schools purchasing director told the Board Audit Committee on April 13 that the department will implement standard operating procedures, a PARS procurement intake/tracking system, a central repository and a compliance supervisor after an internal audit found four findings and one ancillary issue related to rider contracts and records management.
Prince George's County Public Schools purchasing director Miss Johnson told the Board Audit Committee on April 13 that the district will roll out new standard operating procedures, a centralized procurement intake/tracking tool and stronger vendor monitoring after an internal audit identified weaknesses in the administration of rider contracts and recordkeeping.
The audit, which sampled rider contracts for the period 07/01/2023 through 12/31/2024, produced four formal findings and one ancillary issue, Miss Johnson said. "The purchasing department recognizes the need for comprehensive standard operating procedures," she told the committee, and added that the department is reviewing current policies and aligning SOPs with pending updates to board policy 3323 before publishing the new procedures.
The audit team recommended a centralized contract-management module (an Oracle module) to make contract and procurement data more readily available for audit review. Miss Johnson said the department will implement PARS — an internal intake and tracking platform developed with IT — as the official procurement request tracking system in FY27 and will continue to work with IT to add award/workflow features. "PARS is an internal tracking tool," she said, describing it as a place to attach documents, hold internal conversations and assign specialists.
The committee heard several operational details that the reforms aim to address: lengthy RFP cycles that can take about a year, IFB and construction timelines that stretch several months, and district thresholds that require formal procurement for amounts above $50,000, per the purchasing manual. Miss Johnson said the department has begun restructuring supervision so major contract areas (academics, schools and operations) have dedicated coverage and noted that many procurements are being shifted from noncompetitive vehicles to competitive solicitations.
The audit also raised concerns about vendor due diligence. The presentation named SGK as a vendor implicated in fraud convictions in other jurisdictions; Miss Johnson said PGCPS had SGK as an approved vendor during the audit period and "once PGCPS was informed of SGK's pending lawsuit and related investigations, both purchasing and capital programs immediately increased internal monitoring of all SGK projects to ensure compliance and proper performance." She added that if SGK is suspended or debarred by the state of Maryland, the district will take appropriate actions, including possible contract cancellations, "to be in accordance with state law and the board policy."
On records and documentation, the audit recommended a records-management system for retention and retrieval of rider-contract documents and stronger accountability for procurement staff to ensure files are complete and audit ready. Miss Johnson acknowledged gaps and staffing constraints during the audit period and said the department is revising its procurement file checklist and linking documents to the checklist to make files consistent and organized.
A second, ancillary audit issue addressed duplicate or inconsistent vendor profiles in the procurement database. Miss Johnson said the department is cleaning the vendor portal, and emphasized that while duplicate profiles exist, payments are tied to a single vendor number so duplicate payments have not occurred.
Board members welcomed the presentation. One member said the audit "is meeting the goals of a stand alone audit," and committee chair Dr. Tiffany Annerfoam pressed for clarity on SOP timing and PARS implementation; Miss Johnson replied that the team delayed SOP publication to align with expected changes to board policy 3323 and that PARS will be rolled out with additional award and reporting features developed alongside IT.
Miss Johnson and the committee flagged several follow-up items: finalize and publish SOPs after policy updates, complete PARS award workflow and reporting features, hire a compliance supervisor to strengthen internal control and records retention, complete vendor-portal cleanup and maintain enhanced monitoring of vendors subject to external investigations. The committee scheduled its next meeting for May 4, 2026 to focus on on-site records and privacy.
The presentation and audit responses are available on the PGCPS YouTube channel; no formal committee motions or votes were recorded at the meeting.
