In every district, the purchasing department sits at the intersection of urgency and accountability. Teachers, principals, and departments need materials quickly and they often need them yesterday. New classroom furniture, a copier replacement, a contract renewal, a bus purchase… the list goes on.

Yet behind every order, there are layers of checks, regulations, and legal requirements that make speed only one of many considerations. For the professionals who manage purchasing and procurement in California schools, balancing all of this is both a challenge and a calling. At CASBO’s Purchasing & Procurement Basics Micro-Certificate, that tension between fast and fair, between immediate needs and public accountability is a central focus.

A Job That Touches Everything

As session instructors Nick Brizeno (San Marcos USD) and Sharon Clay (Cajon Valley Union SD) describe, purchasing is one of the few functions in a district that truly touches every other department.

Purchasing professionals handle a vast portfolio that extends far beyond simple buying:

• Classroom supplies and instructional materials
• Textbooks, workbooks, and digital curriculum
• Technology purchases, from laptops to networking infrastructure
• Furniture and facilities equipment
• Custodial and maintenance supplies
• Nutrition services and food procurement
• Transportation equipment and fleet vehicles
• Contracts for services, consultants, and specialized projects
• Even warehouse management, records retention, and the print shop

For many districts, these responsibilities fall under one department. Often a small team working under tight timelines and tighter budgets. That means the purchasing office must be equal parts analyst, project manager, legal interpreter, and communicator.

The Expectation Gap

In their discussion, Brizeno and Clay described a dynamic familiar to every purchasing professional: the disconnect between what others expect and what the process actually requires.

In an age where personal purchases arrive the same day via smartphone, it can be hard to explain why a district purchase takes weeks. But as the instructors reminded attendees, public funds come with public accountability.

Every transaction involves approvals, budget verification, sourcing, contracts, and audit documentation. A single purchase order might pass through five or six steps before payment, not because the system is inefficient, but because it must be transparent, equitable, and legally sound.

“Most of us are working through processes that are designed to protect the district. It’s not about slowing things down — it’s about ensuring every step is defensible, traceable, and compliant.”

For purchasing teams, this means managing not only workflow, but perception. Staff across the district may not see the entire chain of approvals or the risk of noncompliance. They only see the delay.

Why It Takes Time: The Anatomy of a Purchase

The instructors walked participants through what the timeline of a single purchase can look like:

1. A need emerges: A teacher or site manager identifies a need like new desks or science lab supplies, and submits a requisition to the office.
2. Approvals begin: Principals or directors review the request, confirming it aligns with the site’s funding and instructional goals.
3. Budget review: Fiscal staff ensure the purchase is coded correctly and that funds are available.
4. Purchasing steps in: The purchasing department sources compliant vendors, requests quotes, or prepares a bid or RFP if required.
5. The purchase order is issued: Only once all steps are verified is the order placed.
6. Delivery, receipt, and payment. Goods arrive, are verified, and invoices are processed and matched before payment.

Even in an efficient district, this process can span several weeks. Yet every step is critical to prevent mistakes and maintain the public’s trust that tax dollars are being used appropriately.

The Role of Communication

If patience is one skill every purchasing professional must master, communication is the other.

Clay shares how her district improved efficiency simply by improving communication. The purchasing office standardized templates, created clear instructions, and ensured every school site could easily access the same information about forms, timelines, and contacts.

Consistency, she explains, doesn’t just save time but builds confidence. When site staff understand the process, they plan better, ask fewer urgent questions, and develop realistic expectations.

Participants also discuss how communication plays a role in vendor management, conflict resolution, and interdepartmental coordination. Purchasing staff often act as translators between technical, financial, and operational worlds making sure everyone speaks the same compliance language.

Pressure Points: Competing Priorities

Brizeno acknowledges that the pressures facing purchasing departments are real. Declining enrollment means shrinking budgets; new regulations and sustainability mandates add complexity; and staffing shortages can stretch small teams thin.

At the same time, purchasing must ensure departments like Facilities, Technology, and Child Nutrition remain compliant, even when those departments manage their own spending. “We’re often responsible for keeping other departments aligned with the law,” he said.

That requires both technical expertise and diplomacy. Purchasing professionals continue to develop a blend of hard knowledge and soft skills throughout their careers.

Building an Efficient Process Through Understanding

One takeaway from the program is understanding the rules allows professionals to make efficiency possible.

When staff truly understand codes, bid laws, thresholds, and procurement methods, they can build smarter systems that reduce redundancy while staying fully compliant.

Learning how to distinguish between formal bids, RFPs, small purchases, and cooperative contracts empowers teams to choose the most appropriate and timely pathway for each transaction.

Knowing when and how to use piggyback contracts, or how to align purchases with categorical funding timelines, can cut weeks off a process. Legally!

Most importantly, understanding the full landscape of compliance helps departments plan ahead, forecast purchasing needs, and advise district leadership strategically rather than reactively.

The Path Forward

At the end of the day, the Purchasing & Procurement Basics Micro-Certificate is a foundation for navigating one of the most complex and essential functions in school business.

Attendees will leave with an understanding of rules and regulations and a clear view of how purchasing fits into the broader system of education finance and governance. They gain the tools to build efficient, transparent processes that serve both compliance and classroom needs.

Purchasing is a LOT to manage. When you understand how every step connects, you start to see the process not as an obstacle, but as a structure that protects everyone involved.

For those new to purchasing or looking to strengthen their skills, the micro-certificate provides that clarity and the knowledge that allows efficiency, compliance, and integrity to coexist.

Ready to Strengthen your Purchasing Practice?

Build confidence in your role and improve your district’s purchasing practices with the CASBO’s Purchasing & Procurement Basics Micro-Certificate.

• Master California purchasing laws, bid processes, and compliance fundamentals.
• Learn how to communicate and plan effectively across departments.
• Earn 6.5 CEUs toward your professional growth.
• Strengthen efficiency through understanding — not shortcuts.

CASBO’s program equips purchasing professionals to meet modern demands with confidence, clarity, and ethical leadership. When you understand the rules, you can make the system work smarter.