School Finance

BUDGETARY PROCUREMENT POLICIES & PROCEDURES

• School Budget
• WPS Capital Plan Nov 2007 (PDF)
• Mass Dept. of Education - School Finance
• Mass DOR

Budget Process:

The School District's Operating Budget, and three-year Capital Plan, is submitted to Town Accountant and Town Manager annually on Feb 1. This "first draft" budget has been reviewed and approved by the School Committee at the last School Committee meeting in January. The School District actual dollar budget amount is set at the spring Town meeting. The budget is scrutinized from Feb 1 by: Town Manager, Town Accountant, Finance Committee, School Committee sub-committee, and Public Hearing as advertised.

Budget Oversight:

School Business Administrator, Administrative Assistant, Superintendent of Schools, School Committee sub-committee, Town Accountant. The School Business office shares business software with the Town Accountant's office.

Purchasing Procedures for Supplies, Materials, & Vendor Services:

In most cases, (except for emergencies), purchasing in these categories are executed by using purchase orders. PO's originate at the District's Department Head level, signed by the Department Head, Superintendent, and Business Administrator then encumbered and processed.

School Supplies are encumbered on a school-by-school basis, with the selected state vendor approved company. Services and supplies: prior to the beginning of the fiscal year proposals in these categories are solicited for supplies and services from July 1 through June 30. On any project or services that exceed $5,000 written proposals are requested. Projects or repairs that may exceed $25,000 are subject to 30B Procurement statues.

The Webster School Department is a member of the French River Purchasing Group that consists of 14 member school districts. Annually, bid items in the aggregate estimates of each member school department for the school year are submitted to French River and then published for bid proposals. They include the following items: fuel oil, copy paper, computer supplies, school and office supplies, and private vendor services for the purchasing of electricity and natural gas. A typical utility contract is for a three-year period.

Labor contracts are negotiated for a three-year periods. The following groups are represented by formalized representation: Administrators Unit B, Teachers, Instructional Assistants, Custodians, Secretaries and Clerks, Cafeteria Workers.

Ted Avlas
Assistant to the Superintendent for Business