Cooperative Purchasing

The Cooperative Purchasing Committee is comprised of business administrators and town purchasing agents from more than 20 districts in Massachusetts.  Cooperative purchasing services include copy paper, natural gas, and electricity.  These contracts provide significant savings to members by utilizing economies of scale to secure lower prices for services and goods.  This eliminates the need for each community to procure individually at higher costs.

PAPER BID

Thirty cities, school districts, and towns participate in our cooperative purchasing bid for copy paper.   The paper bid allows the participating groups to purchase paper at a discount more than 65% above the retail price.  The paper bid was renewed recently with W. B. Mason for another year.

ENERGY BID

Seventeen communities and districts participate in our current energy bids (gas and electric).  Throughout the term of our agreement, participants are expected to save over $500,000 annually.

TRANSPORTATION

CREST provides transportation to adults in the VISIONS program and to our program students for work sites, experimental learning, and field trips.  Drivers are trained by our specialized staff and have knowledge of student needs to allow them to best service the differing populations.  The cost of contracting out for a local community learning experience for one group of students can be as much as $500 per day.  Through economies of scale/shared routes, we are able to provide a high-quality experience at a lower cost.