The Office of Public School Construction told the ad hoc committee that the state’s $250 million K–16 collaborative grant program has released funds to regional collaboratives and is tracking progress on enrollment and work‑based learning through a public dashboard.

Deputy executive officer Mike Watanabe said the 2021 budget act provided $250 million for regional K–16 collaboratives and that the Office contracted with the Foundation for California Community Colleges to administer the program. OPSC implemented a two‑phase rollout, with initial awards (phase 1) and planning grants for regions that required additional capacity. Watanabe said each collaborative’s award packages totaled roughly $18.6 million for initial recipients, with four regions receiving smaller planning grants prior to their full implementation awards.

He noted AB 121 extended the program timeline and relaxed the original requirement that each collaborative pursue exactly four named pathways; collaborators may now align pathways with local California Jobs First sector priorities. The program’s current end date is 06/30/2028; OPSC will conduct final audits of expenditures and work with FCC to prepare a program outcome report when the grants close.

OPSC also described tools for transparency: a public dashboard with self‑reported enrollment and work‑based learning participation, filters by region and pathway, and regular site visits (in‑person earlier and virtual in the past year) to collect progress narratives and refine supports. Watanabe said all program funds have been released to collaborators in multi‑installment disbursements and that the agency will continue biannual data collection and more in‑depth site visits over the coming months.

Board members asked about where to find collaborator details; staff said the Foundation for California Community Colleges maintains program pages and OPSC will retain program information following the contract period. OPSC emphasized site visits are for learning (not audits) until the final review near program closeout.

Next steps: OPSC will continue biannual reporting updates, maintain the dashboard, and prepare final audit activity toward the 2028 program end date.