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Lamar County board rejects reverse auction for 2,300 Chromebooks, votes to re-advertise
Summary
The board voted to reject the reverse auction result after only one vendor bid $625 per Chromebook and authorized re-advertising to solicit additional competition; the Business Office recommended the action.
The Lamar County Board of Education on April 28 voted to reject the reverse auction results for the planned purchase of 2,300 student Chromebooks and approved re-advertising the procurement.
Business Office materials submitted to the board show that a reverse auction held April 15 produced a single bid from CDW-G (CDW Government LLC) at $625.00 per Chromebook. In a written memo, Chase Voss, the district chief financial officer, recommended rejection because the lone bid was both high and did not reflect robust competition; the memo said two vendors had qualified for the auction but only one submitted a bid.
Board member Jennie Hensarling moved to reject the auction results; the motion passed unanimously. The board then approved a motion, also unanimous, to re-advertise the reverse auction so the district can solicit broader participation and aim for a more competitive price.
The auction record included in the packet lists the bidder name, timestamped bid and contact information for the submitting company. The Business Office memo asks permission to contact the potential second vendor and re-run the auction to produce a market-representative price. The board did not specify a new solicitation schedule during the special called meeting.
Next steps identified in the meeting materials include re-advertising the reverse auction and returning any subsequent results to the board for approval.
