Every school district in South Carolina, regardless of its size or the amount of its annual budget or expenditures, is a “political subdivision,” as that term is used in the Consolidated Procurement Code. S.C. Code Ann. § 11-35-310(24). As discussed below, large school districts are subject to the specific requirements of Section 11-35-5340. Other school districts, like all political subdivisions, are subject to the more general rule imposed by Section 11-35-5320, which requires the adoption of procedures “embodying sound principles of appropriately competitive procurement . . ..”

School districts should also consult Section 59-19-93 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, that requires a school district to adopt a procurement code or have its funding suspended.