Obviously, the most important work we do in the school district business is educating students.

But where we educate those students is an important consideration, too. That’s why we rely on a superstar facilities team. These guys and gals work tirelessly year-round, maintaining our HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofs, grounds, windows, doors, signage, parking lots, playgrounds… you name it.

If it’s a physical object that can’t fit in a backpack (and sometimes even then), there’s a pretty good chance the Moffat County School District facilities department has some kind of responsibility for it.

This team is good at what they do, but the reality is some jobs require a level of expertise or manpower that we just don’t have in-house. That means contractors and vendors.

The bidding process for MCSD projects that require the services of contractors and vendors is getting an overhaul to ensure we’re getting, as our superintendent, Dr. Mathew Neal, likes to say, “a dollar-ten value out of every dollar spent.” The revamp also includes harder work to make the process more transparent and to be appropriately favorable where possible to local vendors.

That looks like getting at least three bids for every job over $10,000 in value. We may have a preferred vendor who we think will do a great job for us, but it’s critical that we solicit and receive at least three bids for every job of this magnitude. Otherwise, we might find ourselves doing what we’ve always done for more than we need to be paying. It increases competition and ensures the taxpayer dollar is being spent the most wisely it can be.

It also includes added transparency to that process. We want all potential vendors and contractors to get a bite at the apple, so to speak, so that they have the chance to earn our business with good pricing and good product. We won’t always select the cheapest bid, but we’ll make sure we’re doing what’s best for the district with the funding we have and cherish.

Another element of this process includes a 10% preference for local vendors and contractors. That means if local companies can get within 10% of an outside-the-area bid, we’ll consider it as if it were the same dollar value. We want to keep money in Moffat County as much as we can, and so we’re providing this preference for local agencies to hopefully be able to earn our business more effectively.

However, as much as we’d love to keep all our business local, we know that our responsibility to our taxpayers’ dollars and cents requires us to look for the best bang for our buck, and the best value for our investment. We hope that as many local contractors and vendors as possible will be able to get within our 10% preference window, though, so we can continue to be even more supportive of Moffat County economics.

This all takes a little extra effort. But it’s worth it. We’re confident these improved processes will build up our schools and facilities effectively and efficiently, making sure to maximize our funding and maximize our local impact.