For purposes of this request, “instructional materials” includes textbooks, curriculum materials, digital instructional platforms, assessment tools, and associated instructional services.
I am not requesting full proposal narratives, vendor response packets, or internal deliberative communications.
Specifically, I request the following records:
1. Solicitation records
Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Invitations for Bids (IFBs), Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), or similar solicitation documents issued by the District.
2. Bidder and pricing records (including unsuccessful bidders)
Bid tabulations or bid summary documents identifying:
All vendors that submitted bids or proposals
Prices or total contract values submitted by each bidder (including unsuccessful bidders)
Pricing sheets or cost summaries submitted by vendors, where such records exist,
3. Award and contract records
Notices of intent to award
Executed contracts, master service agreements, amendments, and renewals
Contract award summaries identifying the selected vendor and award amount
4. Vendor payment records
Purchase orders and payment records sufficient to identify total payments made to each vendor under each awarded contract
This request includes records relating to procurements involving, but not limited to, the following vendors, whether or not a contract was awarded.
Responsive to this request, the following resources containing contract and purchasing information for the school system can be searched publicly:
• The Board of Education of Howard County awards contracts over $50,000 regularly through Bids and Contracts Reports: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/files/DD7K7H4E1CE4/$file/01%2030%2025%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 $50,000 are reported quarterly: https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/hcpssmd/Board.nsf/files/DD8KJ352088B/$file/01%2030%2025%20Procurement%20Report%20FY%2025%20Q2%20BR.pdf – this is an example of the most recent report.
• A public contracts database was also recently adopted by the school system which includes solicitation documents: 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