Purchase of Food Supplies

Policy 6480

 

The Board of Education authorizes the purchase of certain food supplies without advertising for bids.

 

For the purpose of this policy, “food supplies” means only those supplies that are to be eaten or drunk and those substances that may enter into the composition of a food in the operation of a school cafeteria or in a home economics class.

 

The Board of Education authorizes the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee to purchase all food supplies without advertising for bids in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:18A:5 and N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.5 et seq.

 

The School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee shall obtain price quotations for all food supplies purchased without advertising for bids in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.5 et seq.

 

Vendors interested in providing food supplies to the school district shall submit a written request to the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee to receive specifications for food supplies to be purchased by the school district. The School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee will maintain a list of interested vendors and will mail specifications for food supplies to those venders who requested such specifications.

 

Each time a purchase of food supplies is to be made, the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee shall solicit quotations from interested, eligible vendors. Quotations for fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, and meats need not be solicited more than once in any two week period.

 

The School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee shall provide definite and uniform specifications governing standards of quality to each eligible vendor from whom quotations are solicited. Specifications for food supplies will indicate a time in which all quotations must be submitted to the school district for consideration.

 

All quotations from interested, eligible vendors will be evaluated by the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee. Food supplies shall be purchased from the vendor who submits the lowest quotation, except that food supplies may be purchased from another vendor who submitted a quotation when the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee can justify the purchase. Any such justification, together with all quotations received, shall be kept in permanent record form, attached to the purchase order and available to school officials, the Board, and the State Department of Education for a minimum of three years following the purchase.

 

The School Business Administrator/Board Secretary or designee may purchase food supplies for any school cafeteria or home economics class to the extent of not more than $500.00 any month without soliciting quotations provided the School Business Administrator/Board Secretary provides a written signed statement filed with the invoice indicating the reason why quotations could not be obtained. The signed statement filed with the invoice shall be retained for review and audit. Nothing in this Policy shall prevent the Board from purchasing food supplies by advertising for bids and awarding contracts in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-4.

 

N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-4 et seq.; 18A:18A-5a.(6); 18A:18A-6

N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.5

 

Adopted: 26 July 2005

Revised: 24 January 2013