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Committee forwards JFK pool painting, Howland restroom, Medicaid‑billing vendor and legal‑services RFP to full board
Summary
The finance committee voted to refer several capital contracts and procurement requests — JFK Campus pool painting, Howland School first‑floor restroom, a Medicaid billing vendor (Relay/Copyclaim) and a request for proposals (RFP) for outside legal services — to the full board for approval or further action.
The Bridgeport School District finance committee on June 4 voted to forward several contract recommendations and a request for proposals to the full board, clearing the way for summer capital work and a vendor to pursue Medicaid reimbursements.
The referrals are significant because they move forward capital maintenance projects this summer, add outside technical capacity to maximize Medicaid reimbursements for eligible special‑education services, and start the procurement process for outside legal counsel that could be used when the city attorney’s office is unavailable or conflicted.
Jamie, a facilities staff member, presented two capital projects. For the JFK Campus, Jamie said the district sought bids through the city purchasing portal and requested authorization to proceed with painting the swimming pool ceiling and walls over the summer; the project is capital‑funded. For Howland School, the district split restroom renovations by floor to remain within budget constraints and proposed renovating the first floor this summer; the lowest bid for the Howland first‑floor restroom came in at $88,788, Jamie said.
The committee also referred a contract to engage Relay (a firm formerly known as Copyclaim) to assist the district in maximizing Medicaid billing for eligible special‑education services. A presenter described Relay’s model as contingent on collections: “They get paid based on the funds collected period,” the presenter said. Committee members confirmed that the vendor’s fee is a percentage of reimbursements and that the vendor will process parental consent and eligibility validation as part of claims administration.
Finally, the committee approved an RFP to solicit outside legal services. Staff said Bridgeport has used the same outside firm beyond the typical five‑year term and that the RFP is intended to solicit competitive proposals for outside counsel — for example, when the city attorney’s office is conflicted or when specialized representation is needed. Staff clarified that routine legal work should continue to use the city attorney’s office, which typically does not bill the district for those services, while the RFP is for outside counsel and specialized representation.
Each referral passed the committee by voice vote; staff will present contracts, vendor terms and the RFP language to the full board for final action.
