Legislative Authority

Inclusive of all K12 Education in the State of Rhode Island:

All Rhode Island schools both public and independent (private, charter, religious), school districts, schools school committees, school consortia and collaboratives, and education service agencies are considered to be Organization Members for the purpose of establishing joint purchasing agreements and utilizing services offered by the Association. Please refer to our Bylaws for further information on Membership: Bylaws

Rhode Island Purchasing Authority

The EdtechRI Board of Directors recognizes the value of consortium bidding as a way to lower costs for all of our member schools and districts.  

EdTechRI is uniquely suited to perform this service because our membership consists of IT Directors employed by most of the public school districts. They understand the technological needs of their respective districts in a school environment and are in a position to guide the technical requirements of an aggregate bid tailored to those needs. There is no other organization with a statewide reach with access to an equivalent level of expertise and public school districts that could serve this purpose.

Rhode Island public schools must comply with the bidding requirements included in:

RI Statutes CHAPTER 45-55 Award of Municipal Contracts

The EdTechRI board wanted to ensure that any EdTechRI consortium bidding or purchasing agreements followed those same requirements.

Representative Cale Keable and Senator Lou DiPalma supported our efforts to reduce technology costs for our schools and sponsored legislation at the start of the 2018 Legislative Session.

The purpose of the proposed statute was to allow public school districts to aggregate their bids for technology and related items. 

The companion bills would allow school committees and the Rhode Island Society of Technology Educators ("RISTE") DBA EdTechRI to enter into joint purchase agreements for the purchase of technology and IT infrastructure.

The bills were passed by the House and the Senate and signed by the Governor as:

16-2-9.6. Joint purchasing agreements for technology and IT infrastructure 

Compliance & Responbility

Notwithstanding the foregoing, all entities utilizing the EdTechRI’s agreements shall remain responsible for adhering to their own purchasing policies and manuals, as well as all applicable local, state, and federal laws.