SD of L Board awards $1.25M contract without members’ review

by Robert Field

For those familiar with how things are done here in bucolic Lancaster, that the School District of Lancaster Board would approve a $1,250,000 design contract for Phase Two of their building plans without four of the members being briefed, let alone seeing the contract, should come as no surprise.

In the Lancaster tradition, “niceness” once again prevailed over due process and common sense.

New member Richard Caplan initially suggested that the contract to Fidevia LLC be tabled until the next meeting or a special meeting to give the four new members an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the building plans and the contract provisions. Other new members concurred. However, a representative of the Fidevia suggested that a delay might cause the District to miss the summer construction season. (Whatever concern that might be.)

It was pointed out that the contract allowed either party to cancel with thirty days notice, which seemed to placate three of the new members. (This is analogous to a couple getting married because they can get a quick divorce!)

NewsLanc’s publisher and veteran builder Robert Field suggested that one or more persons were to blame for bringing the matter before the board before first briefing new members. He likened the procedure to how the Convention Center contracts were approved without county appointees having had adequate opportunity to review the voluminous documents.

But the desire of the new members not to seem uncooperative trumped responsibility to conscientiously protect the public, and the contract was dutifully approved with only Harvey Miller voting against it.

Other subjects discussed by the board and members of the public were:

Venue for the McCaskey graduation. A $500 deposit was approved to hold the date at the Convention Center. Board member Charlie Crystal, Jr., volunteered that insurance to cover the cost of postponement of an outside graduation could be purchased for $800.

An audience member expressed anger at the prospect of a rental fee being charged for the McCaskey graduation: “The Convention Center doesn’t pay taxes, so the least they can do is donate time and space. Not doing so is an insult.”

A parent complained that, though qualified, there was no room for her “straight ‘A’” daughter and another 28 children in the honors program at Lincoln, and that the Spanish class was over crowded with 37 students. Superintendent Pedro Rivera said plans were underway to alleviate both of the problems.

Concerns were raised that proposed block classes would cause the elimination of the International Baccalaureate and Honors programs. Superintendent Pedro Rivera assured that this would not be allowed to happen and emphasized that the general block class concept was still being studied and input sought. It was also mentioned that the success and/or failure of block classes at other districts would also be taken into consideration.

The question was raised from the floor as to why Assistant Superintendent Drue Miles had been awarded a new contract when, according to the speaker, he had been the principal cause of the drastic deterioration over several years of McCaskey’s athletic and cheer leader programs. (NewsLanc plans to look into the matter.)

A student representative (name withheld to protect a minor) allowed that her mother told her that faculty members had been disingenuous (she used a shorter word) in describing to parents positive faculty support for the block class program. (She was last seen congenially exiting the room with Superintendent Rivera.)

There were sundry awards and praises as well as other complaints heard. Apart from the problematic approval of the $1,250,000 design contract without proper vetting, it would have been a good example of democracy on a high level.