SCR 201

THE SENATE
S.C.R. NO.
201
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII
SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
Requesting the Department of Education to reissue
Requests for Proposals for THE Job Order Contracting PROGRAM contractors and
prequalified small contractors to ensure the continuity of the Future Schools
Now program.
���� WHEREAS, in
2018, the Department of Education piloted the Future Schools Now initiative, an
innovative Job Order Contracting program for repairing school facilities
quickly and efficiently; and
���� WHEREAS,
compared to the traditional design-bid-build process, job order contracting
dramatically reduces the construction procurement timeline and costs by
utilizing one competitively bid contract for multiple repair projects, thereby
negating traditional design and construction management costs; and
���� WHEREAS,
capitalizing on this approach, the Future Schools Now program completed in a
matter of months $20 million of school roof repairs, work that previously took
years through the traditional design-bid-build process; and
���� WHEREAS, for fiscal
year 2019, the Legislature appropriated $70 million for the Job Order
Contracting program to fix schools quickly and efficiently; and
���� WHEREAS, due
to its demonstrated success in accelerating school repairs, the Legislature
again appropriated $70 million to the program for fiscal year 2020; and
���� WHEREAS, as
of August, 2021, the program had completed seven hundred ninety-one construction
purchase orders totaling $84,979,362; and
���� WHEREAS, in
2022, the Department of Education sought to supplement the program of
open-ended construction contracts through Requests for Proposals for
prequalified small contractors to further expand the non-traditional options
available to schools for repair services; and
���� WHEREAS, approximately
forty-five Job Order Contracting program contractor contracts and thirty
prequalified small contractor contracts have been awarded, creating
opportunities for local construction firms and supporting the local workforce;
and
���� WHEREAS, as
of April, 2022, 1,393 construction purchase orders were completed, totaling
$169,791,858; and
���� WHEREAS,
those figures increased again in 2023 and, as of December, 2024, 3,403
construction purchase orders were completed, totaling $435,746,663.68,
demonstrating the significant scale and effectiveness of the program in
addressing school facility needs; and
���� WHEREAS,
Hawaii's public school system still faces a significant backlog of repair and
maintenance needs for aging school facilities across the State, with estimates
exceeding $1 billion in deferred maintenance and capital improvement needs; and
���� WHEREAS, delays
in addressing school facility repairs can negatively impact student learning
environments, teacher retention, and the safety and functionality of public
school campuses; and
���� WHEREAS, job order
contracting allows the Department of Education to rapidly procure construction
services through prequalified contractors, standardized pricing, and simplified
work order procedures, significantly reducing procurement timelines compared to
traditional low-bid contracting methods; and
���� WHEREAS, the method
also provides greater opportunities for local contractors and small businesses
to participate in public school repair projects, helping to sustain the State's
construction workforce; and
���� WHEREAS, the
Job Order Contracting program contract vehicle has expired and the Department
of Education has issued numerous extensions to maintain continuity of services
but will need to reissue Requests for Proposals for contractors to ensure the
continued success of the program; and
���� WHEREAS, section
3-149-301, Hawaii Administrative Rules, allows the extension of existing
contracts during the procurement process to provide continuity of services
while a replacement contract is awarded and executed; and
���� WHEREAS, the
prequalified small contractor contracts supporting the Future Schools Now
program have yet to expire but are expected to end in 2027, and new Requests
for Proposals to continue the program will need to be issued in 2026 to ensure
uninterrupted continuation of the program and avoid delays in school repairs;
and
���� WHEREAS, the
continuation of these programs will help address the State's school facility
repair backlog, improve learning environments for students and teachers, and
support local construction jobs; now, therefore,
���� BE IT
RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii,
Regular Session of 2026, the House of Representatives concurring, that the
Department of Education is requested to reissue Requests for Proposals for the
Job Order Contracting program contractors and prequalified small contractors to
ensure the continuity of the Future Schools Now program; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to initiate procurement
for replacement contracts in 2026 to ensure continuity of services before the
expiration of existing contracts; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to continue utilizing
job order contracting and prequalified contractor programs as efficient
procurement methods to accelerate school repair, maintenance, and minor
construction projects at public schools statewide; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to:
���� (1)� Streamline its school-initiated facility
repair project system, including by providing principals with direct access to
the Job Order Contracting program; and
���� (2)� Conduct outreach and issue guidance to educate
principals on the Job Order Contracting program and all available options to
request the completion of school facility repair projects; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that the Department of Education is requested to submit a report to
the Legislature no later than thirty days prior to the convening of the Regular
Session of 2027 detailing the status and outcomes of the Future Schools Now
program, including but not limited to:
���� (1)� The number of construction purchase orders
issued through the Job Order Contracting program;
���� (2)� The number of prequalified small contractor
programs employed;
���� (3)� The total dollar value of projects completed
through the programs;
���� (4)� The types of school repair, maintenance, and
improvement projects completed;
���� (5)� The Department's activities to improve
principals' comprehension of the Job Order Contracting program, its functions,
and their roles in facilitating school facility repair projects, including the
number of trainings conducted; and
���� (6)� An assessment of how lump sum funds may be
established and integrated with the Job Order Contracting program to empower
principals to independently address small facility repair projects at the
school-level; and
���� BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to
the Comptroller, Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Board of
Education, and State Procurement Administrator.
Report Title:�
DOE;
Procurement; Job Order Contracting; Future Schools Now; Report