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Board considers raising thresholds for construction change-order approvals to speed work
Summary
The board discussed proposed policy changes to raise staff approval thresholds for construction change orders, with one board member urging larger delegations to speed work and staff agreeing to provide comparative data from other districts.
The School Board reviewed proposed changes to Policy 8,000 governing approval limits for facilities construction change orders. Staff said the draft would raise the percentile threshold that triggers board consideration; the intent is to reduce the number of small change orders that come before the full board.
Board member Dr. Zeman urged larger delegations: he proposed allowing the superintendent to approve change orders up to $25,000 with reports to the board, and to permit the superintendent—based on construction director recommendations—to approve orders up to $100,000. He also argued the cumulative percent threshold should be increased from 5% to 10% to reflect larger contemporary project costs and reduce delays.
Sonia Coley and Ms. Paul (construction and program staff) said the change is meant to stop routine small-dollar items from crowding board agendas, while still preserving board oversight for large and cumulative changes. Staff asked for time to return with comparative thresholds from neighboring districts and cautioned that changes should preserve legal and procurement safeguards.
Board members asked for examples of where the current approval process had slowed progress and for a historical list of change-order sizes and turnaround times. Dr. Zeman and others said increasing staff authority would reduce administrative delay and allow faster close-out of projects that serve students.
Why it matters: Change orders are common on school construction projects; excessive board-level approvals for modest items can hold up work contractors say they need to proceed. Raising delegated thresholds could reduce schedule and cost impacts, but the board also sought data showing industry norms and legal safeguards.
Ending: Staff accepted the direction to return with comparative data and examples and to draft revised threshold language for the board’s review.
