New York City controller criticizes school system's contracting process

From The New York Daily News: New York City Controller Bill Thompson contends that the city's Education Department's contracting process is out of control. A probe by the controller's office found that one in five of the agency's retainer contracts went over budget by more than 25 percent. The report says that the agency issued 327 contracts over the past two years in which schools could purchase items on an as-needed basis, and the Education Department spent about $726 million above what was estimated.