Procurement & Accounts Payable

*Please note that Payroll is now part of the Human Resources Department*

Budget Overview

  • Funding Sources: General Funds vs. Grants

  • Account numbers & Cost Centers

Sound Business Practice

  • The Worcester Public Schools procurement procedures adheres to the city’s purchasing policies.

  • A requisition is required to purchase any goods and service on behalf of the Worcester Public Schools.

  • Adherence to the WPS Procurement procedures are considered sound business practices, failure to abide by these procedures may result in

WPS Spending Thresholds

  • $50,000 or over – Sealed bids or proposals required

  • $10,000 – $49,999 – Minimum of three written vendor quotes

  • $1 – $9,999 – To be processed under the state statues and city ordinance requirements

Compliance

Bid-splitting” or “cost-splitting” is the dividing of orders for supplies or services into smaller quantities in order to avoid the statutory threshold for advertised competition.

Bid/Cost Splitting Examples:

  • A vendor provides a quote for services at $2,000.00 to avoid the contract process you ask the vendor to reduce their price to $1,999.00.

  • The vendor provides a quote for $4,000 but you want to use different fund accounts to pay for the service so you submit multiple requisitions under $2,000.00.

  • The vendor provides a quote for $65,000.00 but you submit multiple requisitions for different dates of service.

Procurement & Accounts Payable

Category

Timeline

Finance: Budget, Procurement, Grants

3/2023

Finance: AP Districtwide Expenses, Reimbursements

1/2024

Human Capital Management: Payroll, Timesheets, Benefits

1/2025

Retention: Recruiting Talent

1/2026

Procurement & Accounts Payable Staff

Tara Thompson

Tara Thompson

Director of Procurement and Accounts Payable

20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-799-3613

Email Tara

Kathy Wolfe

Head Clerk

20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-799-3613

Email Kathy

Glenn Mezzanotti

Principal Account Clerk

20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-799-3123

Email Glenn

Michelle LaMarche

Principal Account Clerk

20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-799-3130

Email Michelle

Jessica Freitag

Principal Account Clerk

20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-799-3115 ext. 62055

Email Jessica

Kelly Loiselle

Contract Coordinator

20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-860-4671

Email Kelly

Kaileen Patterson

Procurement Coordinator

20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-799-3122

Email Kaileen

Krysti Skidgell

Procurement Coordinator

20 Irving Street
Worcester, MA 01609
508-799-3130

Email Krysti