2026-10-20 Board of Education Work Session

The PPS Board of Education held a public work session on October 20, 2026, with discussion focused on district rightsizing, an annual bond performance audit, and a seismic-project procurement. The board approved Resolution 7,390 by a 7–0 vote, authorizing an RFP process for 2027 seismic projects. Staff said proposals would be evaluated on cost as well as qualifications, capacity, and ability to meet tight summer schedules, rather than selecting solely on lowest bid; the plan is to issue separate RFPs for five projects. The superintendent also reported a projected $65 million general-fund reduction and outlined preliminary rightsizing scenarios estimating $14 million in savings from 14 building closures or $11 million from 11 closures; no rightsizing decision was taken.

The bond auditors reported on the district’s capital program and its $61 million bond program management contract with Presidio, including a $55 million base compensation amount. Their audit identified procurement, contract-oversight, and fiscal-control weaknesses, including an unsupported business case for outsourcing, solicitation and evaluation concerns, a $548,000 overstatement in the base-fee calculation, and invoice-review issues. The auditors said the combined circumstances heightened the risk that the contract award may have been compromised, while noting they did not conclude that contracting rules were broken. They made 38 recommendations; the district agreed with many but disputed some. Board members and the internal auditor emphasized the need to expedite procurement of an external construction auditor to review contractor accounting and payroll records, but no vote on that procurement was taken at this meeting.