Morgan Hill Unified School District’s Board of Education let out a howl of protest during a regular board meeting Thursday when its consultancy firm requested the approval of an unforeseen $2 million expenditure.
Cumming Corporation, a project management firm hired by the district in May for $1.5 million to oversee the first $55 million in capital improvement projects funded by the $198 million voter-approved Measure G bond, asked for $2 million to hire an electrical engineering/low voltage firm to design the details and provide blueprints for the infrastructure of MHUSD’s proposed district-wide $22 million technology implementation plan.
Board trustee Amy Porter-Jensen was mystified by the request.
“I don’t appreciate receiving this information now at the meeting,” she balked. “We don’t have enough time to make our decision, and it’s not fair to the community and it’s not fair to us.”
Porter-Jensen’s comments received a loud ovation from meeting attendees. Board President Don Moody agreed wholeheartedly.
“It wasn’t made clear to me before, so I have the same question as Amy, so she’s not alone,” followed Moody. “I guess I need to know, are there going to be other consultants that we’re going to need before we’re done with this project?”
When MHUSD hired Cumming, the district was under the impression that in doing so, it would alleviate other project costs such as hiring a construction manager.
At that time, Porter-Jensen was alone in voting against the hiring of Cumming. She wanted the district to hire a Director of Construction and Modernization at a discounted $540,000 price tag.
“I thought when the Board voted to go with Cumming on this project, I was under the impression that these services were going to be included,” she pointed out.
Vice President Anthony Sanchez of Project Management for Cumming previously ensured the Board of his company’s unparalleled expertise, ability to manage multiple projects, diversity of services offered, flexibility on project oversight, community outreach and use of the latest software. He touted Cumming as the No. 1 largest independent cost manager and estimator in the state and second nationwide. Sanchez said Cumming had the “ability to establish consistency in planning and development for each project.”
On Tuesday, however, Sanchez explained that Cumming deals with project management services and not engineering services for design, a necessity for the planning stages of the technology implementation plan.
“It’s an entirely different scope of work, and the figures that are being put out there are for a district-wide implementation,” explained Sanchez. “This is not a small task. You’re revamping everything within your district for the mobile infrastructure.”
Led by Porter-Jensen and Moody, the Board decided to not vote on hiring the electrical engineering firm and will table the discussion for the next Aug. 27 meeting.
Additionally, the Board delayed its vote on the $22 million technology implementation plan, which eventually will be carried out at every school site within the district.
“I just feel we’re being rushed into this,” said Porter-Jensen, who added that she would vote against the $22 million plan that included $2 million for an electrical engineer.
“You’re not being rushed into this,” responded Interim Superintendent Steve Betando, who says it’s time to get the ball rolling on technology upgrades. “The district has been well behind with technology for many, many years.”
Porter-Jensen said she agrees “100 percent” that technology upgrades are long overdue, but “I just don’t like how this is being thrown in my face.”
The Board was also faced with three options for the timetable of completing the technology implementation plan, including one that would “put devices in students’ hands” by Nov. 2014. That vote was also tabled to the Aug. 27 meeting.
Additionally, the Board delayed its vote on the preliminary list of Measure G-funded projects and their scheduled starting/completion dates.
Some of those projects include a brand new $5 million multipurpose room at the Charter School of Morgan Hill, as well as $7.6 million total in modernization work at the former Burnett Elementary School (which is now the new home of Central High School); Britton Middle School; San Martin/Gwinn Elementary; and P.A. Walsh Elementary. The list also includes $4.6 million of safety and code work at 10 different schools. The funds are all part of the initial $55 million in capital upgrades – called Series ‘A’ – sourced from Measure G funds.
