The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the school meal programs that provide nutritious, lowcost meals to about 30 million children each day, according to USDA fiscal year 2019 data. School food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program must comply…

This report starts with an overview of child nutrition programs' funding structure and then provides detail on each program, including a discussion of how they are administered, eligibility rules for institutions and participants, nutritional and other program requirements, and recent policy changes. Changes to child nutrition programs that have…

Educational technology products offer potentially effective means of supporting teaching and learning in K-12 classrooms. But for any given instructional need, there are likely to be numerous product options available for purchasing. What can school districts do to help ensure that good selections are made? In a recent, comprehensive study of…

This study contends that one area rich for reform and cost-saving opportunities is college and university procurement--the billions of dollars public institutions spend annually to purchase goods and services. While considerable cost savings may be realized in the reform of current procurement practices, these practices are largely shaped by state…

Background: Across the nation, schools have become actively involved in developing obesity prevention strategies both in classrooms and in cafeterias. We sought to determine the type of foods being offered during lunch in the cafeteria of 3 public high schools in 1 county and if this reflects the purchasing patterns of students. By labeling foods…

Describes the savings a cooperative group of school systems were able to make when purchasing services and supplies as a group. It includes 15 school systems and has been in existence for 12 years. Includes a brief article explaining why school systems may not find cooperative buying to their advantage. (MD)

Outlines the possibilities for savings when using cooperative agencies for purchasing school supplies and services. (MD)

In 1981 the transportation costs of an Ohio school district had increased 63 percent over a four-year period. A cost-cutting program was initiated that year, and by 1984 transportation cost increases had been cut to one percent. Includes a list of seven factors that contributed to the cost-cutting program. (MD)

Some studies of school technology demonstrate that cost-effective analysis allows similar programs to be compared. Cites a report "Power On! New Tools for Teaching and Learning," available from the Government Printing Office. (MLF)

The purpose of this study was to explore alternative methods for saving public funds in the purchasing of school bus bodies in the state of Georgia. Officials from each of the 50 states responded to a questionnaire that solicited descriptions of the methods used by state officials in purchasing school bus bodies. The discussion focuses on (1) the…

The views of private industry and government are offered in this report of a hearing on the Federal Audiovisual Policy Act, which would establish an office to coordinate federal audiovisual activity and require most audiovisual material produced for federal agencies to be acquired under contract from private producers. Testimony is included from…

Because responsible stewardship of public funds is involved, school boards are obligated to establish sound criteria for purchasing essential goods and services. Supporting the local economy is appropriate when local businesses offer the most competitive prices. An inset describes a 1986 publication, "Education Inc.," that discusses schools'…

The objective of a conflicts of interest policy is to ensure that a school is obtaining goods and services at the best available price. Summarizes the requirements of a policy and explains how a "Right-to-Audit" clause in all purchase orders and contracts is a way to monitor policy adherence. (MLF)

Schools are the victims, as bid-rigging scandals in the dairy-products industry surface in 13 states. School boards, in close cooperation with superintendents and district business managers, have the responsibility to detect bid-rigging or collusion. Offers guides for good business management and warning signs of bid-rigging. (MLF)

This hearing report covers three bills: (1) H.R. 3750, which would authorize grants to local educational agencies to purchase computer equipment; (2) H.R. 1134, which would provide funds to establish and operate model centers for computers in education; and (3) H.R. 4628, which would establish a government corporation to promote the development…