Hermosa Beach City School District hires District Advocates Group to run Measure HV bond program
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Summary
The board approved a two‑year, fixed‑fee consulting agreement with District Advocates Group to support implementation of the $28–29 million Measure HV facilities bond, citing the need to accelerate projects amid statewide backlog at the Division of State Architect.
The Hermosa Beach City School District Board of Education voted unanimously Jan. 8 to approve a two‑year consulting services agreement with District Advocates Group (DAG), a division of ISIM Advisors, to provide bond program management for the district's recently passed Measure HV facilities bond.
Brett McFadden, managing principal for District Advocates Group, told the board that “time is money” when it comes to school construction in California and described a fixed‑fee model intended to align the firm’s incentives with the district’s. McFadden said DAG proposes a two‑track approach: fast‑track projects that do not require extensive Division of State Architect (DSA) review (for example, playground modernizations, HVAC upgrades and solar) and longer‑lead projects that will require DSA submittal and community engagement.
McFadden said the firm can “jump‑start” the district’s program within 90 days and emphasized DAG’s educationally focused construction oversight and a fixed annual fee rather than percentage‑based fees that can grow with project size. He noted statewide delays at the DSA, where approvals can take 12–18 months, and said DAG will leverage state contacts and an experienced team to reduce schedule risk.
Board members asked about possible conflicts because the firm is pursuing work in neighboring districts; McFadden said DAG expects to manage potential conflicts by assigning alternate staff when necessary and that his first priority would be Hermosa Beach if a direct conflict arose. The discussion also covered how DAG would work with the district’s existing on‑site project manager and district staff, and the firm’s emphasis on community engagement and DSA closeout procedures.
After the presentation the board voted to approve the agreement. Outcome: contract approved, vote reported as unanimous (5–0). The agreement is for two years and is scoped to work cooperatively with the district’s project manager and staff; staff will return to the board with recommended action plans and contracts for specific projects as appropriate.
