Fastrack is an automated system used to generate school-initiated orders listed in the Item Master File through ATS. It enables you to access contract vendors and items under contract at the Board of Ed. When ordering through Fastrack the use of a manual requisition is eliminated. Fastrack also allows you to check on the status of an order.

Call your Financial Management Center (FMC). Ask your Assistant Principal to request the appropriate forms and also, if necessary, request training. High School Secretaries can call Mark Crespi at the High School Payables Office at 935-3256.

Imprest Forms are used for "over-the-counter" purchases that are $250 or less and provides direct payment to the vendors and reimbursement to employees for out-of-pocket purchases/expenses, i.e. carfare. Purchase Orders are used for purchases from a specific vendor for $251 or more. Requisitions are used for Board of Education ordering and can be eliminated if ordering on line through Fastrack. Note: All service contracts, regardless of cost, must be on a Purchase Order.

Bids are required for purchases exceeding $250. Three vendors must be solicited, but at least two bids are required for each. For purchases of $250 to 5,000, detailed telephone bids are required and must be documented on the Bid Summary form and then attached to the Purchase Order. Purchases of $5,001 to $10,000 require a minimum of three detailed written bids which must be attached to the Purchase Order form. Purchases of $10,001 to $15,000 require actual detailed sealed bids from at least two vendors. The vendors are entitled to be present when the sealed bids are opened. **It is recommended that anything over $15,000 be submitted to your FMC and the OPM on a non-list requisition. Indicate the amount of money you want to spend at the OPM will do the bidding for you.

The Office of Purchasing Management (OPM) has several good booklets. You can also access the information by going online. The OPM Website address is: http://www.nycenet.edu/opm You can call OPM direct at 718-361-3700 and ask for the purchasing agent in charge of the commodity or item you need to know about.

Schools are notified of deadline dates in late February or early March. These dates are not flexible. Make sure to strictly adhere to them.

A spending plan is the method used to distribute money allocated to the school from a particular funding source (quick code) into various categories (object codes). For example: Supplies Object Code 100 Equipment Object Code 300 Textbooks Object Code 337 Contractual Services Object Code 400 Note: Funding sources such as NYSTL and Library do not require a spending plan since the money can only be spent in one object code (337 for NYSTL and 338 for Library.)

If you are in a community school district, check with your financial management center. Secretaries in high schools can do a budget modification using the Spending Plan Summary form, remembering to first remove money from the object code that has more than you need, and then putting it into the object code where you need it. Note: To modify a budget, use transaction code 120 to decrease and 110 to increase. Be sure to check your totals. The back of the form has detailed instructions.

You may use only one object code per requisition. Note: Up to three object codes and quick codes may be used on a Purchase Order. See box numbers 22 and 23.

Yes. Emergency purchases from $251 to $500 can be made for classroom instruction, a repair, or postage, and can be processed through an Imprest Fund transaction. Written justification, including the approval from the principal or his/her designee, is submitted with the Imprest Fund form to the Financial Management Center for approval.

You must do a Change Notice and submit it to your FMC so the funds can be put back into your budget. This form may also be used to increase or decrease an existing purchase order or MGO, but not an aggregate MGO. Call OPM regarding any aggregate MGO problems.

You can allocate money from your general education budget using object code 337. Textbooks not under contract must be approved first by the Instructional Review Unit. (Call Arlene Zynn at 935-4010).

You may purchase only one copy of each title. You may also purchase maps, globes and ten dictionaries with Teachers Choice money.

You may spend up to $250 per vendor per purchase, for a total of $2500 per vendor per year.

The Board of Ed is tax exempt. When making a purchase on behalf of the school, tax cannot be reimbursed. You may use a tax exempt certificate. Exception: Reimbursement of parking expenses-tax is automatically included when you pay.

Anything purchased with Teachers Choice money is the property of the school/Board of Ed and must remain on school grounds and must be inventoried if it is equipment costing over $100.

Quick codes (six digit number) are used to designate the funding source for the money, i.e., tax levy, reimbursables, special education, student activities, PTA. Object Codes (three-digit number) identifies the type of expenditure, i.e., textbooks, library books, instructional supplies, general office supplies, repairs, etc.)

They are the combining of minor object codes into major groupings for budgetary purposes only, i.e., minor object codes 130 (instructional supplies,) 198(general supplies,) and 117 (postage) all collapse into the major object code 100. Minor code 315 (office and instructional equipment) collaspes into object code 300. Object code 330 has been eliminated. For a complete listing of major and minor codes and descriptions see Standard Operating Procedures for FMCs, Division of Business & Administration, Chapter: Appendix E. Date of issue: June 1999(first update of 1999)