Moving Forward with Public-Private Partnerships

At its Facilities Committee meeting yesterday, the Board of Education directed school staff to work with county staff to determine the amount of funding available to lease a school or schools through public-private partnerships. The amount of funding available would determine the number of schools that could be built above and beyond those in the November 2006 bond referendum. Then, WCPSS staff would be able to bring a more concise timeline and plan of action back to the school board.

The Board of Education is studying public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a financing mechanism for schools. Senate Bill 2009 was ratified in August 2006, giving school systems the ability to enter into a lease for privately-developed public schools. Previously, N.C. school systems could lease and renovate facilities, but now, the Board of Education could identify where schools are needed, provide design and construction specifications to the builders, and then lease the facility upon completion.

One of the advantages of PPPs is that a private group may have access to a property in an area that the school system may have trouble finding a school site.

WCPSS is moving forward with PPPs based on the assumption that the primary goal of PPPs as a financing method is to reduce crowding by acquiring additional capacity above that provided by CIP 2006. While the PPP process may reduce the time needed to acquire school buildings in the future, such time savings may not be realized on the first project(s) undertaken.

Also at the meeting, WCPSS staff provided an overview of the Facilities Design and Construction Department's program management organization and budget. In addition, Mike Burriss, assistant superintendent for facilities, said that he's meeting with municipal and county managers on Wednesday and will ask them to form a study committee to determine how to improve the permitting process.

Posted by Kristin Flenniken at 09:39 AM on March 14, 2007 | Leave Feedback

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