Grand Jury says school districts need help with construction projects

San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury is calling on the county Superintendent of Schools to help county school districts follow best practices in construction and capital improvements, saying that managing major construction projects is outside the skill set of school districts [pdf of report].

The prior Grand Jury recommended that the county superintendent convene a blue ribbon panel of district superintendents, construction industry representatives, and architectural and construction management professionals to develop a set of policies and procedures for use by local districts.

The San Mateo County Superintendents’ Association rejected the blue ribbon idea, and instead the Superintendent of Schools established a website that has references to books, articles, and websites related to school construction. 

Meanwhile, school construction fiascoes have continued.  For example, the San Mateo Union High School District had significant cost overruns on its Measure D projects.  In addition, this same District is embroiled in controversy over its current Measure M contracting practices. 

You can see a full list of this year’s Grand Jury reports on their website.