The Marion County School Board received an update Oct. 16 on a proposed public‑private partnership (P3) to develop workforce housing for employees. Attorney Jeremy Powers and district staff described the status of legal review, procurement questions and the P3 application submitted by the developer Upward.

Powers said legal review has narrowed to a few targeted issues after multiple rounds of comment and that bond counsel has been engaged to review financial questions. Upward provided an initial draft review and a P3 application has been forwarded to the district’s Facilities Department for programmatic review. Facilities and Purchasing must determine whether the district will proceed with an advertised invitation for alternative bids or follow internal procedures for P3 projects, Powers said.

Staff asked departments to coordinate on next steps. Attorney Powers requested that facilities and purchasing clarify their preferred procurement path and noted bond counsel is prepared to provide a focused review of financial and contractual implications. The board was advised to expect a staff update before the end of the month and to be prepared for subsequent steps that may include a formalized procurement notice or agreement drafts.

Board members asked for more information about outreach Upward has done to district staff and for any summaries of Upward’s survey or engagement with school employees. Staff said Upward had begun limited school‑level briefings and distributed a flyer with a QR code at one high school site; district staff agreed to ask Upward for a summary of that engagement. Powers recommended facilities and purchasing be brought into the discussion to ensure proper procurement steps are followed before any contract is finalized.

No board decision or contract vote occurred Oct. 16. Staff will return with further legal and procurement guidance.