Board accepts bond audits and hears facilities master plan and modernization updates

The West Contra Costa Unified School District board accepted unmodified financial and performance audit reports for bond Measures D (2010), E (2012) and R (2020) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, and received an overview of a new facilities master plan and project updates for several high‑school modernization efforts.

Independent auditors from the firms presenting said they issued unmodified (clean) opinions and reported no material weaknesses or significant deficiencies for the measures that fund capital projects. Auditor Nathan Edelman described the scope of the bond performance audit as confirming whether bond funds were used for allowable activities; he reported no findings. Financial‑audit partner Hugo Luna read the unmodified opinion and summarized ending balances and construction commitments for each measure.

Board members asked auditors and staff about the bond building‑fund reconciliation and the level of oversight; staff and auditors said testing covered a high percentage of expenditures and that the oversight committee had been involved in a detailed review.

The board also moved to delegate authority to the superintendent to execute an amendment to the lease‑leaseback contract with BHM Construction LLC, allowing work on Richmond High School modernization to proceed into the next phase once Division of State Architect (DSA) approvals arrive.

PBK Architects presented an early‑stage facilities master plan process that will replace the district’s 2016 master plan. The consultants outlined data‑driven steps: enrollment projections, detailed facility‑condition assessments (mechanical/plumbing/envelope/architectural), educational‑adequacy reviews, community engagement workshops (including translated materials and student outreach), and implementation recommendations tied to realistic funding scenarios. Completion of the master plan was projected for fall.

Facilities staff provided quarterly construction updates: Steege (transitioning from underground work to building construction), Richmond (moving from phase 1.1 toward 1.2 pending DSA approval; utility and site work ongoing), and Kennedy (utility corridors, water and electrical system conversions, generator tie‑overs planned for April). Staff warned that DSA review cycles and statewide code updates can delay schedules; they announced community meetings and encouraged participation in the district’s construction oversight committee.

Board members requested clear timelines, robust stakeholder engagement (including teachers, custodial and office staff, safety staff and students), and prioritized sequencing of projects (for example, addressing roofing or infrastructure before interior modernization). Administrators said the master plan will include an estimated 10‑year menu of projects and implementation strategies sized to district funding capacity.

Votes at a glance: the board accepted the bond audits and approved delegation of authority for contract amendments on the Richmond High modernization project; it also adopted other resolutions earlier in the meeting (see meeting record).