NM: Procurement. Maintaining info on In and out of state purchases.

Senate Bill 45, also by Senator Tallman, regarding Procurement, notification, and collecting and maintaining information on in-state and out- of- state procurement, sole source changes, etc.

In December the Office of State Auditor released an audit (see PDF of audit at end of this reporting) which identified numerous findings on procurement irregularities of a regional education cooperative under the direction of the Public Education Department in the issuance of more than $2 million to one out of state entity.

As reported in the Region IX Education Cooperative Audit Report released in December of 2017, (see finding on page numbered 53 of the report):

“One instance where the Cooperative entered into a contract with a private company, for professional services, at the explicit request of the New Mexico Public Education Department. The Cooperative failed to bid the contract and incorrectly determined it met the sole source requirements. The company was paid in excess of $2,200,000.”

The Candle uncovered the PED directives and provided the information to the State Auditor, as well as reported on some of those alleged violations of the procurement code in the summer of 2017, and will be adding to its investigative report shortly.

 PDF of Office of State Auditor 2017 Report:

Click the headlines below for other related stories in this investigative series.

Skandera Reform, In the Court of Public Opinion. Part One.

Tip of the Iceberg? Skandera Reform, In the Court of Public Opinion. Part 2.

PED’s Golden Parachute. Skandera Reform, In the Court of Public Opinion. Part 3. 

and more background:

“We know that standardized tests exacerbate opportunity gaps.” 

Skandera Reform Spending – “F” for Frivolous.

Hanna has left the building … Leaving Behind Six Years of Costly Placebos.