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Board approves RFQ and intent to use CMAR for proposed STEM Innovation charter high school
Summary
The district authorized a request for qualifications for architectural design services and approved seeking a construction manager at‑risk (CMAR) to support design and bidding for a proposed 400‑student STEM Innovation charter high school.
The Council Bluffs Community School District board approved two steps toward creating a proposed STEM Innovation charter high school: issuing a request for qualifications (RFQ) for architectural design services and authorizing intent to use a construction manager at risk (CMAR) for the project.
Administrators described the proposed school as a non‑traditional, project‑based, small high school targeted at roughly 400 students and focused on engineering, robotics, medical fields and P‑TECH pathways. Staff told the board the school would be a district school governed by the elected school board but structured as a charter to allow flexibility in calendar, hours and staffing and to enable recruitment of students from the broader metropolitan area.
The RFQ will solicit architect qualifications to create a short list for interviews; the board will consider a top candidate at the August meeting. District staff said community outreach and surveys (conducted since October) showed interest from families in Council Bluffs and the metro area, and that the district discussed partnerships with local employers and groups, including an outreach meeting with Google representatives.
On the construction approach, staff explained the CMAR model and its recent availability under Iowa law. A CMAR would act as a construction manager who helps develop the guaranteed maximum price, manages bidding and construction scheduling, and takes on cost risk above the agreed maximum. Board members asked whether a CMAR-affiliated contractor could still bid construction work; legal staff advised the CMAR may bid but would compete on the same sealed‑bid basis and the district retains authority to award contracts in the project’s best interest.
Board members and staff emphasized an accelerated timeline to reach a potential opening in fall 2028 and said the RFQ timeline reflects prior community study and planning. The board approved both motions by roll call.
