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Spring ISD consultants find market barriers to minority- and women‑owned firms; recommend race‑neutral small‑business program
Summary
A consultant-led disparity study covering $601.9 million in Spring ISD procurements (2018–2023) found evidence of market-area barriers that limit utilization of minority- and women‑owned firms and recommended race‑ and gender‑neutral small-business programs, improved subcontractor reporting, and expanded outreach and technical assistance.
A consultant team told the Spring Independent School District Board of Trustees on Jan. 6 that the district’s procurement patterns reflect broader market barriers that limit participation by minority- and women‑owned firms. The study, conducted for the district's procurement office and covering purchases from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2023, analyzed roughly $601.9 million in spending.
Andreas Bernal, vice president at MGT, summarized the quantitative results and said the firm found evidence of disparity in the market area rather than deliberate, discriminatory practices by the district. "We found that in the market area, there are barriers to doing business with these firms," Bernal said, citing differences in business earnings and firm availability across racial and gender categories.
The report showed…
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