An organization that provides services to public schools is on the move.
Cooperative Educational Services, a purchasing cooperative that provides procurement and other types of services to public schools in New Mexico, recently moved into a newly constructed 18,000-square-foot building on two acres of land in the Sandia Science & Technology Park. The new space serves as the organization's main office location, hosting 32 employees, according to CES and the SS&TP. The building is located near the Sandia Synergy Center, a rental property owned by CES.
The new facility was scheduled to be completed late last year, with occupancy beginning in January, according to minutes from an October board meeting.
CES facilitates procurement and fulfillment for public education institutions in New Mexico. The organization is comprised of more than 3,700 members, according to its website. It offers procurement services including contract solicitation, evaluation and management. CES also has "mid-level to executive level staff" ready to work with organizations in various areas, and offers support for special education programs.
Like all organizations, CES has had to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. The cooperative took a $2.4 million federal Paycheck Protection Program loan last year.
Just before the pandemic, CES converted its approach to how software and data is managed internally and for their clients, allowing it to help navigate stay-at-home orders, according to a release. But CES has also experienced a decline in purchase order volume.
As of the end of December, its purchase order amount stood at $125 million, a decrease of nearly $57 million from the year prior, according to a finance report from an agenda for an upcoming executive committee meeting. Purchase order volume is one predictor of future revenue, the agenda says.
The cooperative employs a total of 315, according to the SS&TP. Its workforce includes psychologists, therapists, nurses, social workers and other types of professionals, according to the agenda.
