City Schools Buy Marked-Up Supplies Thanks To DOE System

City Schools Buy Marked-Up Supplies Thanks To DOE System

City schools pay more for many basic classroom goods than they would at big-box retailers — thanks to an in-house purchasing system set up by education officials.

Every school must funnel its purchases through a city Department of Education portal called the Financial Accounting Management Information System, or FAMIS.

The massive inventory of more than 400,000 goods is priced according to negotiated contracts with a range of vendors including major retailers such as Staples. . .