At VPCS, we have more than 25 years of experience supporting the K-12 sector, and we’re proud of the ever-growing roster of school districts around the state that have trusted us to oversee their facilities work.
While our larger district clients and their more sizeable bond-funded projects tend to get broader media attention, we are equally invested in – and more than honored to serve – many of our state’s modest-sized districts. In fact, approximately half of our active clients fit that description, with fewer enrolled students and/or fewer physical facilities than their larger metro counterparts.
Here are seven reasons “boutique” school districts continue to rely on VPCS for construction and/or program management:
1. A team of specialists. Our small district clients have access to our entire company’s expertise. When we service a small district, we bring in subject matter experts from our expansive team to address individual concerns as they arise rather than limiting our involvement to a smaller team responsible for handling everything related to the contract. Our regional teams work together to ensure that small districts get what they need when they need it, which allows for operational and financial efficiency.
2. Scalability. We know how to adapt our services to suit any size, scope and budget. Small districts receive the same level of attention and expertise, always aligned to fall within the parameters of any assignment. Our commitment to students remains constant, regardless of other changing factors.
3. An à la carte menu of services. We often work with small districts to determine which of our services would be most useful, and which responsibilities would make more sense for them to handle internally. We take the time to walk through each phase of their upcoming journey – from design management, bid support, CBOC engagement and more – to identify when and where we can help fill in the gaps. This helps stretch sometimes limited budgets, effectively utilizes district staff resources and allows us to step in at points when we can be most beneficial.
4. Main Street community insights. We understand how small districts operate; that people wear many hats; that administrators sometimes become substitute bus drivers and that it’s common to bump into school board members at the grocery store. When we serve these clients, we also make an effort to connect with the local communities because it’s just one more thing that will help us do our jobs even better.
5. A dedication to districts of all sizes. At VPCS, we believe in giving all of California’s school districts the attention they deserve. That’s one reason we actively support the Small School Districts’ Association (and were proud to sponsor and attend its state conference, held earlier this month).
6. An unwavering commitment to protecting our clients. Whether we’re overseeing a bond program valued at hundreds of millions of dollars or supporting a district only needing to modernize a single structure, VPCS will deliver the same level of quality, integrity and professionalism. Neither a client’s size nor the scope of its needs ever affects the way we approach our work because the same laws apply, regardless of a district’s size. Part of our job as construction and program managers is to minimize risk for our clients by ensuring that applicable state regulations have all been met.
7. A student-focused mission. Whatever the size of the districts we serve, our goal remains the same: VPCS is here to ensure that California’s students have access to safe, high-quality school facilities. Kids are kids, wherever they go to school. We are here for them.
Project Manager Jennifer Kerr, who joined the VPCS team in 2017, brings a lot to the table, whether that table is in a conference room, a kitchen, an art studio or a foreign country. Read on to learn more about just a few of Jennifer’s many skills and experiences.
Q: You hold an associate degree in architecture. Did you originally plan to pursue a career as an architectural designer?
JK: Not really. The subject has just always interested me. I took some drafting and engineering classes in high school – and also in middle school, actually – and I was good at them. So when I first enrolled in my college courses, I decided to explore architecture at that level to see if it was something I wanted to continue with. I’m glad I got that architectural education, but it wasn’t going to be the right full-time profession for me.
Q: How do you use your architectural training in your work now?
JK: It’s helpful to have that knowledge of what the architects on our projects have to do and some of the challenges they face so I know the right questions to ask. [Jennifer is currently part of the VPCS teams that work for the Napa Valley Unified, Calistoga Joint Unified and Berkeley Unified school districts.] My degree does seem like an advantage that I bring to the team so I’m never just stepping in blind to those technical conversations.
Q: VPCS is a family-run company. What’s your family connection here?
JK: Eric [Van Pelt] is my brother-in-law; his wife, Erin, is my sister. And my brother Benjamin is also a VPCS project manager.
Q: What tactics do you use to maintain a distinction between family and work relationships?
JK: I don’t think I have any tactics. I don’t need any, really, because it all comes very easily. It never feels like I’m treated any differently for being a family member. Kelli [Van Pelt Jurgenson] and I frequently work together, so family topics come up in conversation all the time, of course, but we’re able to separate all of it. It feels very natural; never messy. When we’re at work, that’s always the priority.
Q: What are some of your non-work priorities?
JK: I guess being committed to the environment is a pretty big thing in my life. I try to do my part wherever I can. You know – reducing waste, avoiding excessive buying, living a vegan lifestyle, just generally thinking about how I can reduce my impact on the planet.
Q: Is it challenging to maintain a vegan diet when you’re having meals at meetings or work events?
JK: Not really. I’ve learned how to work around it and I’d never make a big deal about it. There’s a stereotype of the annoying vegan and I really try not to be that person! So if there’s a work-related potluck, for example, I’ll always bring something that I can eat (and I expect other people would like too). Or if we’re ordering in for a lunch meeting, I’ll just ask the person who’s placing the order to see if there’s a vegan option. If not, I’ll adapt. I really try not to impose it on everybody around me.
Q: Shifting gears, where are you in this photo?
JK: That was taken at the Berlin Wall on a trip I took in 2018 with my brother Frankie. We went all over Germany for about a week. It was my first time traveling internationally and it was an amazing experience. Our mom lived in Germany for a while when she was younger and I took four years of German language classes in high school, so I’d always wanted to go.
Q: Did you use your language skills on that trip?
JK: Yes, some. My brother had also taken high school German classes. But most people in Germany also speak English, and they know almost immediately to shift from German to English when tourists start to talk and we were happy they did that with us! But we were able to read signs and generally make our way through the trip with our little bit of German. (My high school German teacher once told our class that we had enough language training under our belts to speak at about a kindergarten level, so I had realistic expectations by the time I went!)
Q: When you’re not working or traveling, what’s your favorite way to spend time?
JK: I love creating art and I’ve always been pretty crafty. I’ve played around with calligraphy and watercoloring for a few years. I like to make watercolor cards and paintings for people’s birthdays and other special occasions instead of buying something generic from the store. It feels more personal. I also recently decided I wanted to learn how to crochet, so I taught myself how to do that. I watched a few YouTube videos and got a book that showed the different stitches and I just kind of worked on figuring it out. When it comes to arts and crafts, I like to try a little bit of everything.
Q: That kind of versatility probably comes in handy at work too, yes?
JK: Absolutely. In this job, you have to know how to be good at a lot of different things!
It’s a new year, and that means the start of our industry’s conference season. We’ll kick things off in a few weeks at the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) 44th Annual Conference on School Facilities, to be held February 22-24 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. As longtime CASH sponsors and very active members, we always get so much out of this event.
The CASH conference is such a great opportunity to visit with our existing clients in a fun, casual setting. We also love getting to know new people and swapping stories and strategies about our shared commitment to California’s school facilities. Most importantly, this annual gathering gives attendees a three-day deep dive into best practices, legislative insights and the valuable sense of community that will help us better serve school districts in the coming year.
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the ways VPCS will be supporting this year’s CASH conference:
PROUD SPONSORSHIP. Once again, VPCS will show its unwavering support of CASH and its valuable programs by serving as a top-level sponsor of the conference. We are one of only two “Exclusive Sponsors” of this year’s event.
PROGRAMMATIC OVERSIGHT. Members of our leadership team play key ongoing roles in helping shape the CASH conference curriculum. Jennifer Gibb, our director of business development, is co-chair of the planning committee’s fiscal management strand and also sits on other workshop committees, working all year to ensure an effective agenda that’s packed with noteworthy speakers. VP Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson also supports the construction and planning committees in their efforts to deliver a high quality, professionally beneficial program.
WORKSHOP LEADERSHIP. Two of our own will be on the conference agenda this year, both on Thursday, February 23. Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson will moderate a workshop entitled “School District Facilities Leadership for Those Without a Facilities Background.” Among the panelists will be Mike Pearson, assistant superintendent for the Napa Valley Unified School District, who made the transition from site principal to his current role. Later that morning, VPCS’s Jennifer Gibb will moderate a workshop entitled “What’s the Plan? Successful Partnering with State Agencies to Strategically Plan and Fund Facility Projects.” The workshop’s panel, which will include John Gordon from the California Department of Education, will address the benefits of working closely with key state agencies to streamline approval processes and maximize funding opportunities.
NEW ACADEMY ACTIVITY. We’re thrilled to be expanding our participation in the CASH School Facilities Leadership Academy as part of our goal to send each of our current and future leaders through this prestigious and rigorous year-long program. Project Manager Minh Dao is scheduled to graduate at the February conference with the 12th cohort, and Project Manager Mary Fitzpatrick will begin her studies as part of the new 13th cohort later this spring. Minh and Mary are the fourth and fifth VPCS employees to attend the CASH Academy (joining Kelli Van Pelt Jurgenson, Jennifer Gibb and Brian Cameron, each of whom graduated from the program in recent years).
GOLF TOURNAMENT FUN. Once again, we’ll be sponsoring a hole at the conference golf tournament to be held on Wednesday, February 22 beginning first thing in the morning at the Teal Bend Golf Club in Sacramento. If you plan to play, swing by our tent for a quick hello and some refreshing treats.
AN OPENING NIGHT MIXER. Along with some of our industry partners, we’ll be co-hosting a mixer on Wednesday, February 22 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Saigon Alley on L Street – just a few blocks from the Convention Center. This is always a wonderful chance to say hello to old friends and meet new ones at the start of the event. Don’t miss it!
A BUSY EXHIBIT BOOTH. Stop by to see us at the VPCS booth on the exhibit floor. We’ll be there throughout the conference in spot #230.
We hope to see you in Sacramento beginning February 22!
As we wrap up another year, the VPCS family extends our warmest wishes to clients, colleagues, associates and friends. We are so grateful to all the talented, dedicated people in our professional community who inspire us every day to go above and beyond. Here’s to a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous 2023.
The 2022 election cycle has come to a close. In many California communities, voters were asked to support local K-12 school bonds. For districts whose bond measures passed, this is roll-up-the-sleeves time. As experienced program managers (PMs), VPCS has seen many school districts through this process, providing guidance and support to ensure a smooth process within our clients’ communities.
At VPCS, we follow best practices in everything we do. When it comes time to help school districts implement strategies after local bond measures pass, here are some of the keys to our advice:
Form your citizens’ bond oversight committee (CBOC).
If your district passed a Proposition 39 bond, which requires 55% of the vote to pass, California law requires that you form a CBOC. If yours was a Proposition 47 bond, which can pass with only 67% percent of the vote, CBOCs are not legally stipulated – but are still highly recommended. Work closely with your PM team and your legal counsel to ensure that you are meeting your statutory obligations as well as your community’s needs by forming this committee and drafting its formal bylaws.
Consider your CBOC roster.
CBOCs are made up of local community members, school board representatives, district administrators and other stakeholders. Together, these individuals are responsible for ensuring that taxpayer dollars are properly allocated through the life of the bond. If your district recently passed its bond, you should immediately begin recruiting CBOC volunteer members, each of whom will need to be formally appointed by your school board. Work closely with your legal counsel to ensure your CBOC formation efforts comply with the Proposition 39 bond statute and the Ralph M. Brown Act.
Create a CBOC website.
Build a dedicated online home for your CBOC. This will be the single source of details, resources and status updates for everything related to your bond. Since there is specific language that must be used (and avoided) on CBOC sites, this is another task that should be done with the help of experienced PMs and reviewed by legal counsel.
Develop a preliminary implementation plan.
Now that you know the amount of bond funds that passed, it’s time to lay out a tiered plan that maps out how and when to put those dollars to work in your district. Of course, this means prioritizing projects based on your district’s established goals. Unfortunately, there is almost always more need than funding, so not everything can likely get accomplished. An experienced PM team can help determine how to allocate those taxpayer dollars most effectively, particularly when voters are expecting specific results based on campaign promises. Implementation plans are living documents that can and should be updated at least annually to ensure that they still align with board priorities, community expectations, legislative requirements, etc.
Start some projects.
Depending on the size of your bond, your larger projects may take some time to get off the ground. However, you can always dive right in with smaller elements of your plan to show your community that you’re hitting the ground running. Improve a stretch of frontage, repaint a building or make a small enhancement to a campus. Do things that are needed and covered by your overall budget, but won’t get in the way of bigger projects to come. While you’re at it, post a sign that reminds your constituents that their tax dollars are already hard at work.
Establish a bond program schedule.
Create a bond program schedule that overlaps with other funding opportunities, including potential future state bonds. The Coalition for Adequate Student Housing (CASH) and the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) are both predicting that a statewide bond will hit ballots in 2024, so districts should begin tracking that potential cash flow now. This is especially critical when local bond funds fall short of a district’s total demonstrated need.
Work with experts.
Passing a bond is cause for celebration, but nothing to take lightly. With seasoned, trustworthy partners on your district’s team, you are in a stronger position to deliver what voters have asked for and students deserve. Please contact VPCS if we can be of service.
The end of the calendar year is when school districts begin to think about the tasks – particularly related to paperwork and documentation – that need to be done to ensure that everything is in order prior to kicking off a new year. With 2023 right around the corner, VPCS is here to help. Perhaps your district has a new bond measure on the November ballot. If not, you might be part-way through a bond program. Or maybe your district is gearing up for capital improvements. Whatever your district’s current situation, this is the time to do some important housekeeping so you’re ready for the coming year.
We work closely with our client districts to help them prepare their annual documents for any and all upcoming capital improvement projects. Because when the paperwork is in proper order, it smooths the way for everything that follows.
Members of the VPCS team just returned from the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) 2022 Fall Conference, where this was one of the topics on the agenda. Here are four key takeaways from those discussions – actions that school districts can take now to hit the ground running in 2023:
1. Update your prequalification and CUPCCAA lists.
Make sure that your lists of prequalified and California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (CUPCCAA) contractors are up to date. (And if you’re not already using CUPCCAA, we highly recommend it, as it greatly streamlines the procurement process.) Keeping these lists current allows existing contractors to verify the accuracy of their information, while also opening up your list to potential new vendors.
2. Review your PM/CM and architect pools for RFQs.
If it’s been a few years since you last distributed an RFQ – or if a pandemic has occurred in the meantime – it might be time to take a fresh look at the vendor lists from which you typically draw. The state requires that pools for key consultants, including architecture and program/construction management firms, be updated every five years, so keeping those pools current is critical to securing state funding for projects. Of course, if your district has a new bond program coming out, you’ll want your RFQs to align with the anticipated projects so you’re in the best position to line up the right consultants for the work. And the sooner you update your RFQs, the more quickly you can begin effectively planning upcoming projects.
3. Button up your bid packages’ content.
Every year, the state codes change. So, too, does the language that needs to be used in bid documents. It’s critical to work closely with your legal counsel and program managers to stay up to date on how to craft and communicate your district’s needs and ensure adherence to proper procurement processes. This is a clear best practice priority that can dramatically improve the likelihood of your district’s success.
4. Time your bids properly.
The best time to bid your district’s projects is early in the calendar year, which means preparing them now. This will allow you to line up your teams well in advance of the end of the school year so construction work can go at full steam during the summer months. It also clears the path for you to begin the process again as 2023 winds down and you begin the cycle all over again to gear up for 2024.
At VPCS, our top priority is supporting our districts with best practices – whether we’re overseeing facilities improvements or facilitating the process of preparing for new bond cycles. We are firmly committed to doing what is best for our clients, including helping them identify the most qualified vendors. We’re not happy unless our districts feel confident that they’re in good hands.
