Policy 706.06

Payments for Goods, Services and Settlements

The Board will authorize payment for goods and services:

  1. Contracted for within budgetary limits.
  2. Purchased according to relevant purchasing policies and regulations.
  3. Certified by the Superintendent as having been received as ordered and in acceptable condition.
  4. The following types of claims may be authorized for payment by the Superintendent or his/her designee prior to the next regularly scheduled Board meeting, provided these are reported for approval by the Board at the next regular meeting.:
    • Utilities which are recurring in nature;
    • Credit cards or vendor credit accounts where finance charges are avoided with prompt payment;
    • Employee benefits, payroll taxes and employee expense reimbursements;
    • Postage expenses;
    • Conference registrations;
    • Student activity entry fees and related expenses;
    • Meal account or other account refunds to families;
    • Student activity officials and judges;
    • Payments under annual service contracts or equipment lease agreements for which funds are budgeted by the board on an annual basis;
    • Payments to construction contractors for work approved by the board and which delayed payment could harm the relationship with the contractor;
    • Reissued checks to correct an error or replace a previously written check;
    • Grant expenditures to meet grant requirements or closeout timelines;
    • Year-end expenditures which due to the cash accounting basis of the school district are necessary to be paid prior to the close of the fiscal year;
    • Any other contract, invoice or bill that the Administration determines is a legitimate expense of the District and must be paid in advance of the next regularly scheduled Board meeting in order to avoid penalties, interest or fines. It is the intent of the Board to avoid using taxpayer money to pay penalties, interest or fines to vendors that require payment prior to the next regularly scheduled Board meeting; and
    • For the greatest efficiency in expediting purchases, any item that supports the educational mission of the school district, is within the parameters of the approved budget and has an individual sale price of not more than $5,000.
  5. All other claims paid from District funds shall be approved by the Board prior to payment and shall be listed in the official minutes of the Board, which will be published within ten days of the meeting in a newspaper of general circulation in the District.

BUDGET: EXPENDITURE CONTROLS

A system of fiscal control shall be established to govern the administration of the budget and the expenditure of funds.

The Superintendent or his/her designee shall set up and operate budget controls for all buildings and departments expenditures and shall administer the budget in conformity with the legal requirements and the actions of the Board.

The Superintendent or his/her designee shall check the legality of all expenditures and ascertain that all expenditures recommended for approval are legal expenditures.

SIGNING OF CHECKS

All checks drawn on District funds shall be signed by the president and the secretary or stamped with an authorized signature plate when generated by computer. The treasurer is authorized to sign checks and warrants in absence of the president or secretary.

SETTLEMENTS

A public written or electronic record of all settled claims shall be maintained.

The record for all such claims settled in the amount of fifty thousand dollars or more (or one percent of the total annual budget of the School District, whichever is less) shall include a written executed settlement agreement. The settlement agreement shall contain a brief description of the claim, the party or parties released under the settlement, and the amount of the financial compensation, if any, paid by or to the School District or on its behalf. Any such settlement agreement shall be included as an agenda item on the next regularly scheduled public meeting of the School Board for informational purposes or for approval if required.

Any such settled claim or settlement agreement shall be a public record. Nonetheless, specific portions of the record may be withheld from the public to the extent permitted or provided by statute.

The foregoing does not apply to claims made in connection with insured or self-insured health insurance contracts.

Legal Reference:
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-575
Neb. Rev. Stat. § 84-713

Adopted: June 12, 2006
Revised: November 8, 2010
Revised: November 11, 2011
Revised: August 20, 2018