Current RFPs & RFQs below:

Vendors

Vendors are approved/added through the District Accounts Payable office. Items may be procured through District bidding, through co-op awarded bid (listed below), through price quote, or through spot purchase, depending on the amount. The aggregate amount of like-item purchases throughout the year can also determine the method of procurement. Prior approval in the form of an approved purchase order is required before any purchase may be made. Single purchases of $25,000 or more require board approval before the purchase may be authorized. As a note, technology devices that work with the District network must be approved by the Technology Department. Instructional software and services are approved though the Curriculum Department.

Vendors / Contractors – Fingerprinting Notice

The Texas DPS will change how it grants Clearinghouse access to schools and contractors for the purposes of reviewing criminal history under TEC §22.0834. School contractors will only be granted access to fingerprint results that were obtained under the federal National Child Protection Act (NCPA) if the contractor meets NCPA criteria. Additionally, schools will no longer be given access to fingerprinting results if they were obtained under NCPA authority or through another agency.

When these changes are implemented, school districts and charter schools will lose access to the criminal history records of individuals who were previously fingerprinted by contractors or by HHSC. Although the fingerprint results will be in the DPS Clearinghouse, the results will be partitioned and cannot be accessed. If school districts or charter schools need to review the criminal history of these individuals, they will need to fingerprint the individuals again.

School districts and charter schools may only access the records of individuals that districts printed under TGC §411.097, TEC Chap. 22, Subchapter C, or through a Local Education Entity (LEE) pass.

OPTIONS FOR ACCESSING THE DPS CLEARINGHOUSE GOING FORWARD

School districts or charter schools may take one of two paths to ensure that contractors are fingerprinted:

• Option 1 – Schools may fingerprint a contractor and/or contractor’s employees using the Local Education Entity (LEE) Fast Pass option. The contractor, however, will not be able to view the results through the DPS Clearinghouse.

• Option 2 – Texas-based contractors that provide care or care placement services may fingerprint their W-2 employees who have access to students. In this situation a contractor can certify that they are in compliance with TEC §22.0834. However, schools will not have access to the same fingerprint results. A private contractor that does not meet the NCPA criteria to access criminal history will not be granted access to the DPS Clearinghouse.

Schools and contractors may request access to the DPS Secure Site FACT Clearinghouse by calling 512-424-2474, Option 1.