HCPSS MPIA Request #2026-022

Requestor
Ian Densing
Organization/Agency
Smart Procure
Requested Information
SmartProcure is submitting a public records request to the Howard County Public Schools for any and all purchasing records from 6/30/2020 to current. The request is limited to readily available records without physically copying, scanning, or printing paper documents. Any editable electronic document is acceptable.

The specific information requested from your record-keeping system is:

1. Purchase order number. If purchase orders are not used a comparable substitute is acceptable, i.e., invoice, encumbrance, or check number
2. Purchase date
3. Line item details (Detailed description of the purchase)
4. Line item quantity
5. Line item price
6. Vendor name
Date Received
Status
Complete
Response Notes

Responsive to this request, the following publicly available reports contain HCPSS purchasing information: 
•    The Board of Education of Howard County awards contracts over $50,000 regularly through Bids and Contracts Reports: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/files/DKJH2Y4672D3/$file/08%2021%202025%20Bids%20and%20Contracts%20BR.pdf - this is an example of the most recent one, and there is typically one per meeting of the Board found on Board Docs: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/Public. 
•    Contracts between $25,000 and $50,000 are reported quarterly: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/files/DFRLLR5702D0/$file/04%2009%2025%20FY25%20Q3%20Procurement%20Report.pdf – this is an example of the most recent report. 
•    A public contracts database was also recently adopted by the school system:  https://hcpss.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities. 
•    Outside of contracts, total yearly payments by vendor over a threshold of $25,000 are also reported on this website: https://www.hcpss.org/f/vendors/index.html

Additional time would be needed to review purchase order records.

*Some request language is summarized to include the requester's specific document requests and legally protected information (such as personally identifiable information of a student) or personal, defamatory and malicious content removed at the discretion of the school system.

**Responses containing legally protected information available only to the person of interest are omitted from the above report.

***Howard County Public Schools reserves the right to remove erroneous or outdated documents from this site.