DEPARTMENT: Pre-K 4 SA
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Kathy Bruck, CEO
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Purchase of Classroom Furniture for the 2016-17 school year and Competitive Grant awardees
SUMMARY:
This item requests Board consideration of the request for Pre-K 4 SA staff to utilize the BuyBoard cooperative to purchase classroom furniture with Community Products LLC DBA Community Playthings for the four Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers for the 2016-17 school year in an amount not to exceed $35,000.00 and for Pre-K 4 SA Grant awardees in an amount not to exceed $79,000.00.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Pre-K 4 SA has purchased classroom furniture, to include student and teacher desks, cubbies, book shelves, tables and dramatic play furniture, from Community Products LLC DBA Community Playthings since the inception of the program in 2013. For the 2016-17 school year, Pre-K 4 SA will replace damaged or unusable items throughout the four Education Centers. The estimated amount for these replacement purchases is not to exceed $35,000.00.
This year, as part of the Pre-K 4 SA Competitive Grants program, staff will purchase classroom furniture for up to five childcare centers to provide an enhanced learning environment and replace outdated furniture for each awarded classroom. On November 6, 2015 Pre-K 4 SA released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to public/charter schools, private/parochial schools and childcare centers with an application deadline of December 18, 2015. Pre-K 4 SA staff convened three committees of specialists in each of the three applicant categories to review grants received to recommend programs for the Board of Directors approval in April 2016. Contracts for funds will begin for the 2016-17 school year. The estimated amount for the furniture purchases for the Competitive Grants awardees is not to exceed $79,000.00.
The classroom furniture orders will be purchased through the BuyBoard Purchasing Cooperative. BuyBoard is a purchasing cooperative that is administered through the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and utilizes competitively bid contracts awarded through BuyBoard in accordance with federal, state and local procurement rules and has been extended for use by other governmental entities. Cooperative purchases are a less time consuming method of procurement, since pricing and discounts have already been negotiated through the contracting entity. Community Playthings has been awarded under the new cooperative agreement 503-16 and will begin on April 1, 2016 and expire on March 31, 2017.
This item will be forwarded to the Economic Development Department (EDD) and is pending Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) review.
ISSUE:
Pre-K 4 SA staff requests Board consideration to authorize staff to utilize the BuyBoard Purchasing Cooperative with Community Products LLC DBA Community Playthings, to purchase classroom furniture for the four Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers for the 2016-17 school year in an amount not to exceed $35,000.00 and for Pre-K 4 SA Grant awardees in an amount not to exceed $79,000.00.
ALTERNATIVES:
If the Board does not approve for Pre-K 4 SA staff to utilize the BuyBoard Purchasing Cooperative with Community Products LLC DBA Community Playthings to purchase classroom furniture, the Corporation could lose the pricing advantage afforded through a previous competitvely bid cooperative agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Funds for classroom furniture purchases are budgeted and available in the Pre-K 4 SA Education Center Expansion Project as approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors.
Funds for the Pre-K 4 SA Competitive Grant purchases are included in the FY 2017 Proposed Budget contingent upon approval by the Board of Directors and City Council.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the Board approve for Pre-K 4 SA staff to utilize the BuyBoard Purchasing Cooperative with Community Products LLC DBA Community Playthings to purchase classroom furniture for the four Pre-K 4 SA Education Centers for the 2016-17 school year in an amount not to exceed $35,000.00 and for potential Pre-K 4 SA Grant awardees in an amount not to exceed $79,000.00.