Columbus on track with OSFC

(by Megan Edwards, Staff Writer - January 10, 2009)

Members of the Neighborhood School Development Partnership commended Columbus City Schools for staying on track with its Ohio School Facilities Commission facilities master plan.

The NSDP, according to outgoing member John Rosenberger, is an “accountability panel,” which was established upon the beginning of the 35-building, $520-million OSFC master facilities plan in 2002.

“The word ‘accountability’ means to assume someone is to be held accountable, in this case, it is the district,” Rosenberger said. “And the district is to be accountable to accounting, in this case, the taxpayers. We are here on behalf of all district taxpayers to take the time to get all of the facts and render judgment on the execution of the program.”

The NSDP is “not an auditor,” Rosenberger said, and relies on district staff and outside construction managers for information.

“We suspect for most taxpayers, it’s mostly about the money,” Rosenberger said of the project. “They may ask, ‘did we get what they told us we would get, did it cost what they told us it would cost, and did it cost the best price?’”

Though the economy, enrollment and other circumstances caused changes in the master facilities plan, the NSDP agreed the district did well in sticking to the plans. The district stuck to “good competitive bidding,” and will have a small balance of resources to roll forward at the end of the program.

Outgoing members of the NSDP were honored at the Jan. 6 meeting of the board of education and will receive wooden conduits recovered from Fort Hayes High School during the reconstruction project at that building.

Board members commended the NSDP’s participation.

“You should feel very, very proud of yourselves,” said board member Terry Boyd. “There are trophies all over the city to indicate that.”
 

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