Open Session - SMBSD Board Meeting - October 14th, 2026

The Santa Maria Bonita School District Board of Education’s October 14, 2026 open-session meeting (metadata dated October 15 UTC) included a major capital-project award. The board unanimously approved Bid No. 2627-01, awarding American Modular Systems (AMS) a $49,680,000 contract for two-story modular classroom buildings at a new elementary and middle school on a shared campus. The project includes approximately 40,800 square feet of elementary classrooms and 41,100 square feet of middle-school classrooms, including science/CTE spaces. Staff said the bid was rebid after receiving no responsive bids initially; two vendors submitted bids in the rebid, and the district rejected a protest after internal and legal review. The presentation described a design-bid-build approach and a three-increment delivery plan, intended to manage schedule and cost, enable local contractors to compete for portions of the work, and support state matching-fund eligibility. Staff cited modular construction estimates of $550–$650 per square foot compared with $800–$1,000 for traditional construction, and noted local subcontractor Newton Construction’s approximately $6 million role. The board also approved the appointment of a parent representative to the county SELPA advisory committee; no associated spending was discussed.

Other discussion included updates on dual-language immersion expansion and special-education inclusion, but no related contracts or funding decisions were made. Public commenters raised concerns about staffing shortages, contracted special-education aides, compensation, health-insurance costs, and the district’s inclusion model. The board amended the agenda to defer a third reading of a counselor-on-special-assignment job description while bargaining impacts are discussed with the employee association. A board member also requested a future agenda discussion with community partners about support for families affected by increased immigration enforcement activity.