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