St. Martin Parish school board members raise concerns about architect fees, bidding and bond oversight

St. Martin Parish School Board members raised concerns about the district's process for engaging architects, the use of a near-flat fee rate and potential exposure if project scopes grow after an architect submits a design or bid.

Board members said the district historically assigned architects without pursuing open competition and that firms frequently use a flat fee around 12 percent. Members referenced prior practice “dating back to Richard and Mrs. Elliott” and said some in the community have urged the board to advertise assignments to secure more competitive rates. Members also noted that the state previously published a fee scale, but that the district appears to pay a higher flat percentage in current practice.

The discussion flagged a scenario in which an architect is asked to design for a set construction budget and subsequently increases the project scope. Members said the district has in at least one reported instance incurred architect fees tied to the higher scope even though the board had not approved the larger contract amount. A board member asked staff to review invoices and the contractual language that governs fee calculations when a project's construction cost increases after design or bidding.

Board members connected the issue to an impending bond measure, saying oversight of architect selection, fee structures and contract language will matter if the bond passes and larger construction budgets are under the board's control. No formal procurement policy change or vote was recorded in the meeting; members directed staff to check invoices and report back.

Next steps recorded in the meeting were a staff review of invoices and contract terms; the transcript indicates a request that “Mr. Boyd” check invoices and report findings to the board.

The record does not contain a motion to change procurement policy or a roll-call vote on a new approach.