Public Charter School Contracts

Learn more about public charter school contracting below.  

Public Charter School Contracting

  • Public Notification: For procurements that are subject to bidding requirements, schools must publish a notice of a request for proposals in the DC Register and two newspapers of general circulation at least seven days prior to the award of the contract.
     
  • Bidding Exemptions: Contracts not subject to bid but subject to submission to DC PCSB for review include: lease or mortgage agreements, loan agreements, sole source procurements, procurements through cooperative purchasing agreements, and procurements through the General Services Administration, among others.
     
  • Submission Requirements: No more than three days after the award of the contract, the school must submit to DC PCSB the following documents: evidence of the public bidding and notification process, the public Request for proposals, all bids for the contract received by the school and the rationale for the award of the contract. When a contract exceeds $100,000 in value, the school must also submit the vendor contract. Schools must also fill out a data form with information about each procurement, including whether a conflict of interest was present.
     
  • Review Process: DC PCSB consistently reviews the contract submission system and tracks the accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of submissions, notifying schools of errors. In certain cases, DC PCSB may conduct deeper investigation into a particular contract, potentially conducting further research into the contract or vendor, or interviewing the school. If the school indicates that there may be a conflict of interest, DC PCSB reviews the school’s board minutes to determine whether the conflicted party/ies recused themselves from the vendor approval process.
     
  • Contract Effective Date: Contracts may not go into effect less than 10 days after the date of submission to DC PCSB.
     
  • Records: The list of submitted contracts are made public each month at the DC PCSB Board meeting.

Below is a monthly list of such submissions to DC PCSB. Direct questions to Clarissa Heartsfield at cheartsfield@dcpcsb.org.

For a list of currently open to bidding contracts, click here.  An Excel spreadsheet summarizing all contract documentation submitted since the April 2018 Board Meeting can be found here.

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

Each public charter school is required to comply with public bidding and notification requirements for expenditures equal to or exceeding $25,000. Evidence that each procurement has been properly bid must be submitted to DC PCSB for review. While DC PCSB does not have approval authority over individual contracts, any questions or concerns flagged during our review are raised with the school.