State Auditor Shad White says the Mississippi Department of Education is ignoring state procurement law and is making it more difficult for school districts to make technology purchases with federal funds.
MDE disputes those claims about the $150 million program that was passed by lawmakers in June and provides funds for computers for teachers and students, instructional software, enhanced internet and training for online instruction for teachers.
On Monday, the auditor’s office sent a letter to lawmakers that said that the MDE didn’t allow school districts to make purchases outside the MDE’s preferred list of vendors, even if the purchases met the criteria under the law.
The auditor also said in his letter that the MDE only sought bids from four technology companies and that two districts said buying from the MDE list would cost tens of thousands more than they’d otherwise have to spend.
According to the MDE, the bulk purchase system maximizes buying power of the state and ensured that students will receive their devices before the deadline set in SB 3044.
"Mr. White’s August 24, 2020 letter to state leaders and lawmakers is inaccurate and devoid of all context about the intent of this law,” said Carey Wright, state superintendent of education, in a news release. “The MDE is implementing Senate Bill 3044 with fidelity and has been working diligently on behalf of districts to ensure every student in Mississippi is equipped with the technology to learn at school or at home.”
The MDE also said that districts were allowed to make purchases from vendors not on the MDE’s list if the products included the same features of products on the list and could be purchased for a lower price for a comparable product.
Districts were given the opportunity starting in June to specify to the agency about their digital technology requirements and had a deadline of July 31 before finalizing their orders. The state then selected vendors and negotiated bulk prices on behalf of districts.
Wright said in a news release that while the law allowed the MDE to make purchases using an emergency procurement, multiple vendors were sought. Only two — CDW-Government and Apple — met all of the requirements for software, support and security features.
The program is funded from $1.25 billion in federal funds the state has received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed in March by Congress.
