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NEISD board approves RFQ to assemble architects and engineers pool for 2025 bond
Summary
The Northeast Independent School District board authorized issuing a request for qualifications to create a pool of architects, engineers and consultants for Bond 2025 projects; the district will publish the RFQ, hold a Dec. 1 pre-submittal and aim to bring recommendations at a Feb. 23 special meeting.
The Northeast Independent School District Board of Trustees on a 7-0 vote authorized staff to publish a request for qualifications (RFQ) to prequalify architects, engineers and consulting firms for projects funded by the district's 2025 bond program. President Beyer called the vote after a presentation from Mrs. Caldwell, the district's presenter for the item.
Mrs. Caldwell told trustees the board was not awarding contracts at the meeting but was seeking permission to solicit qualifications from professionals interested in participating in Bond 2025. "We are not awarding anything tonight," she said, adding that the RFQ process will seek resumes of licensing, experience and firm capacity and will include a conflict-of-interest questionnaire.
The RFQ packet will list the Bond 2025 projects that require design services and will describe the minimum qualification requirements and the evaluation criteria. Mrs. Caldwell said the district will use a five-point Likert scale to evaluate qualifications, followed by interviews for firms that score highly. She proposed publishing the RFQ the day after board approval, a pre-submittal conference on Dec. 1, an interview window in January and February, and a recommendation to the board at a special meeting on Feb. 23.
Trustees pressed for transparency in how interviews would be selected. Trustee Shelton asked whether every firm that met minimum qualifications would be invited to interview; Mrs. Caldwell replied that meeting minimum qualifications would not guarantee an interview and that staff would provide the rubric and evaluation criteria in advance. Staff also described outreach plans: prospective firms should register in the district's procurement software (InWave) to receive automated notices; the district will advertise in the Express-News and industry publications to broaden notice.
Trustee Villareal moved the motion to approve issuance of the RFQ for architectural and engineering design services; Trustee Landry seconded. The motion passed 7-0.
Next steps: staff will publish the RFQ, hold the Dec. 1 pre-submittal conference, and return to the board with interview recommendations and a formal hiring recommendation following the evaluation process.
