School facilities: task-order procurement contracting.

Assembly Member Flora's proposal to expand task-order procurement contracting for school facilities would allow smaller school districts and county superintendents to award multiple contracts for repair and renovation projects through a streamlined bidding process. The measure permits districts with 2,500 or fewer students in average daily attendance to use task-order contracting for projects up to $3 million, funded through general funds, construction bonds, or federal and state sources.

The contracting mechanism requires awards to the lowest responsible bidder based on typical work specifications, while maintaining existing procurement guidelines and classified employee protections. Educational agencies must verify compliance with personal service contracting rules before proceeding and cannot use these contracts to replace current staff. The authorization extends through January 2031, during which participating agencies must submit detailed reports to the Legislature documenting project awards, costs, contractor performance, and any bid protests.

This expansion builds upon an existing pilot program for the Los Angeles Unified School District, creating a parallel framework specifically tailored to smaller districts and county offices. Participating agencies must engage independent third parties to evaluate their use of task-order contracting, with findings due to legislative committees by January 2030. Multiple agencies may collaborate on a single assessment covering their collective implementation experiences.