Employee Resources

A purchase order is required when ordering:

• Preview/Instructional materials
• Supplies
• Materials
• Equipment
• Subscriptions, Workshops, etc.
• Contractual services, including renting parks and facilities, or equipment.
  • When renting a facility, the purchaser must also request a certificate of liability insurance from Amanda Heikkila.

Regular requisitions will be processed into purchase orders daily if they appear in the purchasing approval queue, all information is complete, and attachments (quotes, contracts, etc.) have been included. If the requisition requires a contract or insurance documents that are not already attached, additional time will be required.

If employees place orders without a purchase order, they could be personally responsible for payment. Please contact Business Services for issues regarding employee reimbursements.

*During peak times in May/June and Aug/Sept/Oct, requisitions may take longer to process.

A checklist for expediting your requisitions:

• Have a completed contract or quote before creating your PO req.
• Quotes include shipping cost. This will avoid delay with further budget approval.
• Begin your PO req with a narrative detail line listing the provided quote number.
• Merchandise detail lines are complete and include information such as item number, item color or size, workshop date, location, attendees, and shipping cost.
• Include an attachment narrative (if necessary) and a sending narrative.
  • Reference What Narrative(s) Should I Use
• Attachments for the vendor have been added to the requisition.
• Communicate with your admin about outstanding PO reqs.

Reminder: Clear instructions on your requisition can provide valuable information for the Purchasing Department as well as speeding up the purchase order process.

The State of Washington delegates purchasing authority to the Snoqualmie Valley School District Board of Directors. The School Board delegates purchasing authority to specific positions within the district. Only individuals in those positions are authorized may make purchases on behalf of the district. Given that authority, we have been entrusted as a steward of the public trust and their money to 1) manage public funds in a responsible manner, and 2) manage risk, minimize liability, and provide for accountability.

Unauthorized purchases by individuals may result in personal liability for the purchase cost. Parents, students, volunteers, PTSA and Booster members are restricted from allocating district funds.
 

HOW TO SELECT PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
First, check with the Business Department or discuss your needs with your Office Administrator. The district has a standard method of buying the item or service that you need. Most likely we have established local, state, or national contracts, by which we are able to leverage large buying power for significant cost savings.

We also have a vast selection of vendors who accept our purchase orders and provide direct billing. In many instances we have multiple vendors who provide the same products for comparison shopping.

Many times, an out of state vendor may show lower costs but will tack on additional shipping and handling charges which add up quickly and we could have found it locally.
 

HOW TO INITIATE A PURCHASE
In-District Resources – Some services are available from in-district sources:

• Mail & UPS services (x8000 & x8031)
• Used furniture & some supplies (Warehouse x8031)
• Catering (Food Service x8009)

The district has established standards for computer, related equipment, and software. The IT Department must be consulted prior to any IT purchase.

The Purchase Order – A PURCHASE ORDER IS THE DISTRICT’S PREFERRED METHOD to purchase goods and services. Submit the required details to your School Financial Secretary to initiate a purchase order requisition and for approval by your Principal or Administrator. This is submitted to Purchasing for further approval and processing.

Blanket Purchase Orders – Blanket purchase orders are an acceptable method to procure goods over the school year for multiple purchases from one vendor. This lowers the processing time and internal costs. It must not exceed the bid requirements.
 

VENDOR PAYMENT
Accounts Payable processes payments twice a month. Proper documents must be in Accounts Payable by Accounts Payable deadlines. We are unable to simply “cut a check” on demand. A holiday or other situations may alter this timeline.
 

COMPETITIVE PROCUREMENT REQUIREMENTS
Purchases Over $40,000 – State law requires the Business Department to solicit quotes/bids from multiple vendors. Other state requirements may apply, depending upon the type of procurement. Under No circumstances should staff members procure or enter into an agreement to procure goods or services over $40,000 without consulting in advance with the Business Office. Purchases Over $10,000 – Federal law requires the Business Department to solicit quotes/bids from multiple vendors. Other federal requirements may apply, depending upon the type of procurement. Before entering federally funded vendor contracts for goods and services that equal or exceed $25,000 and any subcontract award, the district must ensure the vendor is not suspended or debarred from participating in federal assistance programs.
 

VENDOR SELECTION
The Business Department has an established procedure to activate new vendors including verification of licenses, conflicts of interest and comparison with similar current vendors and has the responsibility of final selection.
 

HOW TO PURCHASE PERSONAL SERVICES
Contact the Business Department to receive proper directions before purchasing services.

Generally, when someone is hired to perform a service under the direction and supervision of a district employee, it is considered an employer/employee relationship. Arrangements for payment will be made through payroll. If services are of a specialty nature, requiring the expertise of an individual who is working independently, a competitive search may be required.

Contracts – It is required that a contract be in place prior to the commencement of any service. The Business Services web site contains a template for the “Professional Services Agreement” form, which is to be completed and signed by the vendor, your Building Administrator and Business Services prior to the contracted start date.

Only selected district officials may sign contracts on behalf of the district. DO NOT enter into any agreement without prior approval or sign any contract. This is done at the district Business Office.
 

ON-SITE WORK/INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
Under a variety of circumstances, outside vendors are required to provide evidence of commercial general liability insurance. The district is named as an additional insured to the vendor’s insurance policy.
 

SALES TAX
The district is not exempt from paying state sales tax, even for “out of state” purchases. Goods used in this state are subject to either sales tax or use tax but not both. Even though the vendor’s invoice may not include Washington State sales tax, the accounting office must assess and pay the required tax on all applicable purchases.
 

REIMBURSEMENTS
The Snoqualmie Valley School District will reimburse staff for occasional, minor “out of pocket” expenses incurred in the performance of their work assignment when the following guidelines/requirements are followed as per district policies and State RCW and WAC codes. Parents, volunteers, students PTSA and Booster members cannot be reimbursed.

• Do not exceed $200 per purchase.
• Original, itemized receipts must be attached. Receipts must itemize purchase, personal items on separate receipt.
• Proof of payment must be shown on receipt or copy of cancelled check or redacted credit card/bank statement.
• Shipped orders must be to a district address.
• Claims must be received in the Business Department within 60 days of the receipt date.

Please note in most cases, a contracted discount the district receives is not available via a walk-in, over-the-counter retail purchase. We highly suggest checking first if your desired purchase can be obtained through an established vendor who is already set up to accept purchase orders or p-card and subsequently receive those discounts.

The Business Services web site contains the templates of the Reimbursement Forms.

Travel reimbursements are processed after the completed trip. Please note prior authorization is usually required for travel. Travel guidelines are available in the document section of the Business Services web site.
 

CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Employees of the Snoqualmie Valley School District who act on its behalf have an obligation to avoid activities or situations which may result in a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest.NEVER accept payments or gifts of any kind and contact Business Services before accepting any samples.

Please note: School administrators and staff do not have the authority to sign contracts or obligate the District.

Contact Business Services if you are interested in hiring people to provide services such as consulting, presentations, DJs, training, etc. Business Services will assist you in determining the necessary paperwork that is required. A contract may need to be issued and it must be completed and received from the vendor prior to the start of services. This process may take some time to complete, so please allow enough time to complete this step before the service begins.

If you wish to rent equipment or an outside facility for a school or District-sponsored event, please contact Business Services and make arrangements for review of the contract and the terms and conditions of use.

The purchase of software or licenses for the use of software requires the review of the software terms and conditions prior to purchase. Please contact the Technology Department for information.

A paper trail is required for all changes to purchase orders. If an order is to be changed or cancelled for any reason, you must contact Business Services.

If changing the Vendor on a PO, the PO will need to be cancelled and a new PO needs to be issued.

If you receive an address change for a Vendor, please forward the information received to the Business Office for updating in the Skyward system.

How to See PO Detail in Skyward

1.  Log into SW > Choose Purchasing > My Purchase Orders.
2. Search by PO number or click on a column title to alphabetize (click again to reverse direction).
3. Click on the 'carrot' to see additional topics related to that PO. 
4. Click additional "carrots" to drill down in the detail. 
5. To see if a PO has been processed for payment, choose Invoices.
   • You can scroll to the right to see if a check has been processed, the check number and the date it has been paid.
   • Any information in color will allow you to drill down further and see additional details. 

General Terms and Conditions