School board advances Gilbane interim agreement for new CTE building; no public speakers at hearing
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Summary
The Orange County School Board advanced an interim agreement with Gilbane Construction under the PPEA for a new Career and Technical Education facility aimed to open in 2027; the public hearing drew no speakers and the administration said negotiations will continue toward a comprehensive agreement when local funding is secured.
The Orange County School Board received an update on the division's Career and Technical Education (CTE) project and opened and closed a public hearing on an interim agreement with Gilbane Construction without public comment.
Superintendent Dr. Hornick told the board the division used the PPEA (Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act) process and received a proposal from Gilbane whose team includes RRMM (architects) and Timmons Group (civil engineers). The administration has posted the proposal and project timeline on the district website and said it is working through an interim contractual agreement while negotiating the final comprehensive agreement.
Dr. Hornick said the administration aims to have the facility ready at the start of the 2027 school year and emphasized the project's workforce and economic-development benefits, listing programs that would be served in the building, including automotive repair, diesel mechanics, culinary, carpentry, masonry, electricity, plumbing, HVAC and welding.
The board opened a public hearing on the interim agreement; no members of the public signed up to speak and the hearing was closed. Dr. Hornick described the next steps: continue negotiations, finalize a comprehensive agreement, and secure funding from the local funding agency (the Board of Supervisors) before breaking ground.
On the pace and intent of the project, Dr. Hornick urged momentum: "Let's get shovels in the ground," reflecting the administration's push to move from proposal to construction.
What comes next: administration will negotiate the comprehensive agreement and return with contract documents and funding requests; the board will not commit local funds until the comprehensive agreement and associated funding plan are presented and approved.