Delaware City Schools in Ohio purchased buses through a consortium that provides the district with economies of scale.
I
n mid-January, the Spring Hill Independent School District in Texas joined a state purchasing cooper- ative, the TexBuy Purchasing Cooperative, which is run by Education Service Center 16. The coopera-
tive is one of 20 government support centers that serves school districts and others, to offer purchasing services. The cooperative charges 2 percent of the purchase price and then refunds 1 percent back to the local district. Purchasing cooperatives are widely used by school
districts. Schools and other agencies and governmental organizations, are often part of the pool, which contrib- utes to the increased volume leverage. The concept is simple. By working through a coop-
erative, the consolidated purchasing block is able to negotiate and secure more favorable pricing and terms
than they could otherwise attain on their own. This is possible because many of them buy the same goods. If one agency purchases safety items, tires or wipers, so does another school, district or agency within a state. Acting collectively, the members agree to buy through
a cooperative to attain proposals and pricing. All of the district members are able to purchase more successfully, because vendors agree to better pricing in return for the additional volume. School Transportation News was unable to reach transportation representatives at Spring Hill ISD at this report to obtain further details. But cooperatives evident- ly offer much promise for the district, and an increasing number of others, nationwide. Most school districts stand to benefit from their
www.stnonline.com 49
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
