Program Spotlight: Redwood City School District Measure S
We are so pleased to be ramping up in Redwood City, where we’re serving as both program and construction managers for work associated with Measure S, a $298 million bond passed in 2022 by voters in the Redwood City School District (RCSD). This sizeable effort will deliver a number of district-wide facilities improvements and infrastructure modernizations that will benefit RCSD’s 6000+ students across 12 elementary school campuses.
A Comprehensive Responsibility. In addition to being awarded the program management (PM) assignment to oversee all work that will fall under the Measure S umbrella, VPCS was also named as construction manager (CM). “It’s such an honor to be given 100% of both the PM and CM duties for a single bond,” said VPCS’s Ben Kerr, who will serve as RCSD program manager. “This district felt very confident that we could provide not just the level of technical expertise they needed but also bring our well-known reputation for successful community engagement.”
A Blue Ribbon Team. While Ben Kerr will guide the RCSD team in his capacity as program manager, he will be well supported by VPCS leaders and colleagues. Director Mike Van Pelt will serve as managing founder, Vice President Eric Van Pelt will be principal in charge, Vice President Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson will oversee budget development, Director of Business Development Jennifer Gibb will lead all community engagement and outreach efforts, and Angie Ramich will serve as project coordinator. “As a firm, we look at every assignment holistically, not just project by project,” said Jennifer. “Having so many members of the leadership team involved helps us get things right the first time, which is what we insist on and what every client deserves.”
An All-hands Approach. RCSD will receive the same comprehensive, everybody-in type of service that we offer each of our clients. “Regardless of the size or scope of a contract and who’s technically listed on a project team roster, all of us at VPCS know we can reach out to our co-workers to get insights, answers or suggestions related to anything we’re working on,” said Ben. “We have a well-organized system that gives all of us real-time access to everyone else’s expertise whenever it’s needed.”
Getting Things Rolling. We will soon begin working with RCSD on the master plan for Measure S, which will be an opportunity to take a big-picture strategic look at how best to put the bond dollars to work in ways that serve students, staff and community members equally and effectively. “Whenever we work on master plans, we know how critically important it is to ensure that all stakeholders – students, parents, teachers, staff, the school board, the citizens bond oversight committee [CBOC], the neighbors, all the different entities – feel heard,” said Ben. “Part of our job is to get everybody on the same page so we can do what’s best for the whole district.”
Engaging with the Community. VPCS is recognized for our distinct skills in the area of community engagement, and we’re looking forward to getting to know the citizens of Redwood City even better as we fold their preferences into their district’s plans. “No matter what, we’re always here to support communities; to augment what districts are already doing rather than setting aside existing community engagement processes and replacing them with our own approaches,” said Jennifer. “In Redwood City, we expect to get involved with the neighbors and staff in a variety of ways: we’ll be at parent club meetings, town halls, board meetings, CBOC meetings; we’ll go to coffee with principals; we’ll conduct surveys; we’ll send out newsletters. We’ll do whatever it takes to distribute information and gather feedback so that everyone feels informed and heard.”
We are so grateful to the people of Redwood City for trusting us with this very important assignment. We look forward to helping make the built environment in this great district even better and putting Measure S funds to work for the good of the entire community.
April 29, 2024