JUST WHEN YOU HAD HOPES FOR REFORM….
By Charlotte Greenbarg

This excerpt is from a Facilities Task Force meeting that I attended June 1 as a member, representing the School Board’s District Advisory Council. The Task Force keeps track of what’s going on with district building projects and asks tough questions. Surprisingly, we got straight answers on this one!

“Greg Boardman, PM 3, reported that at the last QSEC meeting only 2 firms submitted to be short-listed for JJJ and Glades High. They had requested a legal opinion on whether the district could go forward with 2 firms when state law requires at least 3. At that meeting there was no ruling. They since have been informed that there is a way to allow 2 firms to proceed in the process. There was a discussion about the use of CM@Risk over design-build. He stated that with the current situation in construction, the preferred method is the former. Discussion centered on the process for setting the Guaranteed Maximum Price, which often turns out to be very high to cushion the builder from risk.

“The district has needs and has to pay the price, but Facilities need to reduce rampant gouging.

“LLL was reported by Mr. Garretson as costing $175 sq.ft. but Mr. Boardman stated that it is now costing $220 sq.ft. “because the contractor says so.” The contractor is Pirtle.”

Remember when some of the board members cited “economy of scale” when they awarded the same firm 3 schools? I guess the economy is on the part of what it costs the contractor, not what taxpayers save. Obviously, this contractor is a huge contributor to some board members’ campaigns. I guess they consider it an investment in their future.

There are incumbents and challengers running for School Board seats, and it’s incumbent (pun intended) upon those of us who care to ask tough questions about the squandering of million of tax dollars.

We have another example of abusive tactics towards parents of students in failing schools. In the Miami Herald (July 16), Hannah Sampson wrote about the state charging the school district with misusing millions of federal dollars. Instead of offering parents free tutoring, “…the district sent a letter to families…explaining the private tutoring…but urged parents not to take advantage of it, arguing that ‘these funds can be much better spent helping students in the classroom.’” Of course parents got the message, and only 337 requested and only 98 ended up with the service.

Yes the test scores here are higher than the state’s, but how much higher could they have gone if the private tutors had been utilized? The program served only 2% of the eligible students! Will the district be held accountable for the misfeasance? Stay tuned.