Finding Text
Criteria or Specific Requirement: The Small Purchase Procurement Method adopted by ISBE requires that public schools entering into a contract for perishable food items in excess of $10,000 but not more than $250,000 must solicit quotes or bids from a minimum of three qualified vendors. Condition: The District did not solicit quotes or bids for the purchase of milk products. Questioned Costs: None. Context: The District did not implement internal controls to solicit bids from qualifying vendors for the purchase of perishable food items. Effect: The District may pay prices in excess of fair amounts without soliciting multiple different quotes or bids. Cause: The District believed an exception to bidding requirements for contracts for the purchase of perishable foods in the Illinois School Code [105 ILCS 5/10-20.21(a)(iv)] exempted the District from solicitng more than one quote or bid for milk products. Recommendation: The District should solicit quotes or bids from qualifying vendors for milk purchases as required under the Small Purchase Procurement Method. Management's Response: There is no disagreement. The District will implement policies to solicit quotes or bids from qualifying vendors in future years. A contract had already been awarded for the 2024-25 school year before this defficiency was discovered, so this internal control will be implemented for the 2025-26 school year.