Joplin Schools board acknowledges top-rated CMAR for three elementary additions pending contract negotiations

The Joplin Schools Board of Education on Jan. 22 acknowledged the district's scoring of a construction-manager-at-risk (CMAR) procurement for additions and remodels at three elementary schools and authorized staff to negotiate a contract with the top-ranked firm, identified in the district's rubric as "Carlson," with final award contingent on successful negotiations and a future board award meeting.

District staff said the selection followed a two-round process. Round 1 narrowed six respondents to three based on qualifications. Round 2 combined an interview and a financial review: the district applied a weighting that allocated 50% for qualifications (round 1), then 30% to the interview and 20% to the financial proposal in round 2. Staff reported that Carlson ranked highest on the published rubric.

A motion by board member Mr. Hurd, seconded by board member Mrs. Sherrick, asked the board to "acknowledge the scoring" and to permit district officials to proceed with negotiation and contract preparation. The board voted to approve that motion; the district will present any final contracts for board action at a later meeting.

The item grew from the district's capital planning work; district staff told trustees the CMAR will be used for additions and remodels that district voters and the board previously funded through capital outlay planning. Staff also described the scoring team as including long-range facility staff, a selection/assessments team and a board member who participated in round 1 scoring.

The board did not approve a final contract at this meeting. Next steps recorded in the meeting record are negotiation and a future award meeting if negotiations are successful.