JONESBORO — In an effort to get more construction bids, the Clayton County Board of Education is considering reducing its goal of 30% of projects going to small and locally-owned businesses.
The current policy for construction contracts — in place for about a year — recommends construction projects have at least 30% of contractors be local and small businesses.
The newly proposed percentage is 15%.
The school board also has a current policy of 20% for professional contracts and is considering cutting that in half to 10%.
Clayton County Public Schools Chief Capital Improvement Officer Ronick Joseph told the school board at a Jan. 29 work session that the majority of construction bids are coming from Meja Construction of Peachtree City.
In the past, there have been four or five general contractors who have bid on projects but now won’t bid because of the current policy, he said.
Joseph said reducing the requirements would encourage more companies to pursue work with the school system and make the process more competitive.
“It seems like lowering expectations, and it doesn’t feel good,” school board member Jasmine Bowles said at the work session.
She added that the current policy encourages more investment in small and local businesses and that the Small Local Business Enterprise goals should be even higher.
She also said the policy falls short because it doesn’t name Black, brown, women, or veteran vendors.
School Board Vice Chair Benjamin Straker said he believed there is collusion among vendors and stressed that the 30% is not mandatory but a recommendation.
“Why lower something that’s not mandatory?” Straker said.
School board Chair Jesse Goree said she has talked to companies, and the current policy has impacted minority businesses.
“We shouldn’t see the same people every time,” she said of the lack of bidders for…
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