In order to make sure that taxes are withheld from payments and to provide worker’s comp coverage, any staff member being paid through an NEF grant will have the check issued through the School Dept. NEF has established our own forms and timelines for this process—see the NEF Grant Disbursement Instructions for complete details. NEF will forward all requests for payment of wages directly to the Northampton Public Schools four times a year. The payment is added to the staff member’s regular paycheck but will be identified on the stub as NEF payment. No NPS Purchase Requisition form (PO) is needed for this process.

Substitute Teachers: If you are making arrangements for the School Department to pay substitutes directly, please submit an NPS Purchase Requisition form (PO form) and an NEF Non-Personnel Disbursement Request form, per the NEF Grant Disbursement Instructions.

In order for an employee to avoid paying for a large purchase out of pocket and then waiting for reimbursement, the School Dept. has agreed to issue purchase orders to vendors for orders of $500 or more, and to have NEF transfer the funds to the School Dept. to pay the bill after delivery. This can include requests for smaller payments to multiple vendors as long as the total is above $500. The process to be used for these large orders is as follows:

1. The grantee completes a NPS Purchase Requisition form (signed by supervisor) and submits it online, attached to an NEF Non-Personnel Disbursement Request form, for approval and agreement to reimburse the district.
2. If NEF grant administrator, Tom Annese approves the request, he forwards the email with the requisition to the NPS Business Office. (If not approved for any reason, Tom will return to the requestor.)
3. The NPS Business Office will issue a School Dept. purchase order to the vendor to order the goods or services.
4. Once the goods or services are received and an invoice is received, the NPS Business Office will send a copy of the invoice to NEF, who will issue a check to the School Dept. for the amount of the invoice.
5. The School Dept. will pay the invoice on its next bill warrant from the NEF Gift Account, even if the NEF funds have not yet arrived.

In order for employees and students to be covered when using bussing for a grant, the School Dept. has agreed to issue purchase orders for bussing and then to have NEF transfer the funds to the School Dept. to pay the bill. The process to be used for bussing is as follows:

1. The grantee completes an NPS Purchase Requisition form (signed by supervisor) and an NPS Field Trip Bus Quote form and submits it online, attached to an NEF Non-Personnel Disbursement Request form, for approval and agreement to reimburse the district.
2. If grant administrator Tom Annese approves, he submits the Purchase Requisition form and bus quote to the NPS Business Office. (If not approved for any reason, Tom will return to the requestor.)
3. The Business Office will issue a School Dept. purchase order to the bussing company.
4. Once the bussing is complete, the Business Office will send a copy of the invoice to NEF, who will issue a check to the School Dept. for the amount of the invoice.
5. The School Dept. will pay the invoice on its next bill warrant from the NEF Gift Account, even if the NEF funds have not yet arrived.

For purchases under $500, the grantee must pay out of pocket and submit receipts for reimbursement or ask the PTO to pay and submit receipts for reimbursement. See the NEF Grant Disbursement Instructions for details on this process. No NPS Purchase Requisition form (PO) is needed when requesting reimbursement from NEF.

NEF can make direct payment for supplies ordered from local vendors or on-line suppliers in some cases (such as book orders). See the NEF Grant Disbursement Instructions for details on this process.