The District has identified a need for a reliable source for quality art materials and supplies. The volume of purchases of art materials exceeds the bidding threshold and would normally require the District to request proposals from art material suppliers. However, by using a cooperative contract via the Keystone Purchasing Network, the District satisfies the legal requirement and takes advantage of the discounted pricing available on the Keystone contract. Action 9 of the District's Action Plan states that the District will "provide teachers with the materials and supplies required to effectively teach students." A contract with Blick is an important vehicle for schools to use their budgets to obtain quality supplies.  The total authorization request is a not-to-exceed amount based on previous fiscal year spending, but schools should only purchase what they need for the year and be cognizant of the self-life of any items that have an expiration date for use (paints, etc.).  The Office of Procurement services will continue to solicit feedback on the supplier from school staff and ensure that the pricing and availability of necessary items remains competitive.