Board approves $328,930 efficiency assessment contract despite cost concerns

The board approved a recommendation to award a contract to Public Works LLC of Westchester, Pennsylvania, to conduct an operating and efficiency assessment of six central-office departments for $328,930. The funding source is local funds and the scope covers finance, human resources, information technology, instruction, special education and student transportation.

Superintendent Dr. Newsom and procurement supervisor Sheldon Taylor said 12 firms responded to the district's request for proposals, five finalists were interviewed and Public Works ranked first on technical criteria despite being higher in cost than some competitors. "Public Works came out number one in five out of the six rubric categories," Taylor said. The firm proposed an expedited timeline with an interim briefing in mid-December, a draft by Jan. 15 and a final report by Feb. 12 to inform FY2027–29 budget planning.

Board members raised concerns about the $328,930 price tag and asked whether a lower-cost finalist might provide similar value; administrators said a second-ranked firm was available for about $110,000 and that the higher cost reflected a larger team and the expedited timeline. Members also asked whether staff had checked references; staff said they had reviewed one recent report from Public Works and that they had not yet contacted client references directly.

After discussion about expected savings (staff cited an average savings figure near 2% for districts in prior engagements but no guaranteed result), the board voted to award the contract. The motion carried 5-0.