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.

SR189

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

189

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE 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, 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 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; and

����
(4)
�
The types of school repair, maintenance, and
improvement projects completed; and

����
BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the
Superintendent of Education, Chairperson of the Board of Education, and State
Procurement Administrator.

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:
�

DOE;
Procurement; Job Order Contracting; Future Schools Now; Report