Cooperative purchasing practices and procedures in the public school divisions of Virginia and their relationship to the Virginia Public Procurement Act

The purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive analysis of cooperative purchasing in the public schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia with attention to any effects brought about by enactment of the Virginia Public Procurement Act. Questionnaires were sent to each division superintendent of public schools in Virginia with follow up done on those public school divisions who have or are utilizing cooperative purchasing. The majority (63 percent) of public school divisions in the Commonwealth of Virginia do not utilize cooperative purchasing. Public school divisions utilizing cooperative purchasing are almost universally involved with their local governmental body rather than other school divisions. Saving money is the rationale given for utilizing cooperative purchasing and it is the factor most often named as the major success attained in such an agreement. The bidding requirements and attendant need for specifications enumerated in the Virginia Public Procurement Act resulted in a minority of school divisions electing to employ cooperative purchasing and utilize the State Department of Purchasing and Supply as two means of ensuring compliance with the law. Enactment of the Virginia Public Procurement Act has had a marginal effect on procurement practices by public school divisions in Virginia. Public school superintendents reported that a concern about a potential loss in autonomy was the major reason for not purchasing cooperatively. This was consistent with other studies done on this topic. School divisions most likely to utilize cooperative purchasing are characterized by large enrollments and budgets, the employment of professional full-time purchasing agents, and a superintendent who has had prior experience with cooperative purchasing agreements as well as perceiving enactment of the Virginia Public Procurement Act as a concern. School divisions are utilizing cooperative purchasing despite the absence of the above characteristics cited in the literature as standard requirements.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Administration

Department dc:contributor.department

Educational Administration

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1987

Author dc:creator

• Cowden, Robert Allan

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Earthman, Glen I.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Fortune, Jimmie C.
• Richards, Robert R.
• Salmon, Richard
• Shoemaker, Donald J.
• Worner, Wayne M.

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76094

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76094