Purchasing

The Newark Unified School District is a public school entity.  We are a major purchaser of numerous goods and services operating six elementary, a middle school, a comprehensive high school, an alternative high school and an Adult School.  The district is situated in Newark, California.  The District serves a community of over 12,000 (census 2021) homes and has approximately 5,000 students enrolled in transitional-kindergarten through twelfth grade.  Challenging educational programs and a strong commitment to excellence produce high pupil achievement.  As such, we are constantly striving to fill District needs in the most cost-effective manner to obtain the best combination of product, quality, price and service.

 

Newark Unified School District maintains a centralized purchasing program.  A Purchase Order (P.O.) properly numbered, signed and authorized by Business Services is the only document by which the District obligates itself to a vendor.  Please be aware that Business Services is the only department authorized to sign and issue purchase orders. 

California Education Code requires that the Newark Unified School District approve all District purchases prior to the receipt of goods and services.

Vendors are strongly advised not to provide materials or services to the District without first obtaining an authorized purchase order from Business Services.  Purchases made in the name of the District without an authorized P.O. may be considered a donation to the District or the personal obligation of the person making the purchase and not an obligation of the District. 

Vendor Contacts

The District urges vendors to deal directly with Business Services on all purchasing related matters including sales calls, sales presentations, promotions, catalog distribution, returns, exchanges and substitutions.  Vendors are discouraged from making sales calls directly to school sites and with District personnel. The District maintains a competitive environment in its approach to purchasing and suggests that vendors first contact the Business Services Administrative Assistant for direction and advice before making any sales presentations.  This will save time and minimize confusion as to proper roles and authority in the District's procurement process.

What Does Newark Unified School District Buy?

The needs of the Newark Schools are very diverse.  They range from basic instructional materials for reading, writing, math and science, art and athletic supplies, furniture, audio and video equipment, office equipment, maintenance services, custodial supplies, transportation equipment, computers, software, etc.  The Child Nutrition Services Department purchases food supplies, services and food service equipment.  The District also seeks services for equipment maintenance contracts, public works contracts in school construction, remodeling and site improvements.

New Vendors

To be placed on the District's vendor or bidder lists, a new vendor need only send a letter to the Business Services Administrative Assistant at 5715 Musick Ave, Newark, CA 94560, and request to be placed on a list.  The letter should contain at least the following information: business name, address, telephone and fax number, tax I.D. number, e-mail address, product(s) and/or services offered, contact person, a line card, and business ownership certification (i.e. minority, women, or disabled veteran owned).

Bids - Formal and Informal

Formal bidding procedures are required for the purchase of materials and/or services exceeding amounts specified by law (see the California Department of Education website for current bid threshold and the Department of Industrial Relations for current public works services threshold). This bidding process requires a bidder to attend a bid conference and submit bids to the Business Services Administrative Assistant in sealed envelopes at a specified time and date. Formal bids are primarily advertised in the legal section of the Argus or the Tri City Voice.  Minority, women, and disabled veteran owned businesses are strongly encouraged to participate in this process.  The district awards bids to the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder and reserves the right to reject any and all bids offered.

Informal quotes, bids or proposals for materials and/or services may be requested and received in writing, by mail, e-mail, or facsimile, and/or verbally such as by telephone. Informal bids apply to purchases below the formal bidding limits.

Delivery Schedule

All materials and supplies orders shall be shipped to the District Warehouse located at 3735 Birch Street, Building A, Newark, CA 94560 unless otherwise indicated on the purchase order.  Receiving hours are 6:00 am - 2:00 pm, Monday through Friday.  The P.O. number must appear on all packages and packing slips. Vendors should strive to meet all specified delivery schedules contained on purchase orders.  If, for any reason, shipments cannot be accomplished as promised or as required, Business Services should be notified of the situation as soon as possible.  Items remaining undelivered after 60 days of the P.O. date may be automatically cancelled.

Billing, Invoicing and Payments

Invoices should be mailed promptly after delivery to the Newark Unified School District, Attn: Accounts Payable, 5715 Musick Ave, Newark, CA 94560 or via email to: accountspayable@newarkunified.org.   Invoices should reference the appropriate purchase order number, otherwise, payment will be delayed.  All District purchases are subject to state sales tax.  Vendors can normally expect payment within 30 days of billing provided that proper purchasing procedures have been followed.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

Vendors are required to provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS) from the manufacturer for all products that are hazardous, as defined by California Code, Title 8, General Industry Safety Orders, Section 5194.

Staff - Purchasing and Warehouse