Action item “G” on next Tuesday’s Decatur School Board meeting agenda recommends signing a contract with Rosser Management Services to design and oversee construction of the Decatur High School Career Academy, 5th Avenue School and Renfroe Middle School infrastructure upgrade.

The decision was made after CSD staff reviewed all 11 RFPs received and narrowed the list to three.  Then a review team “consisting of City Schools of Decatur employees and Decatur community members” made the final decision.

Rosser was chosen in a unanimous vote.  They will be paid a lump sum of $350,000 for their services on all three projects.

Among the Decatur School Board’s agenda items for the coming week is a motion to approve advertising “for project management services for Renfroe Middle School infrastructure update, Fifth Avenue Academy Building Project, and Decatur Career Academy renovation/addition.”

This search is of particular note because it marks the end of Rosser International’s contract with CSD in May.  Rosser has worked on many CSD construction projects in the last couple years, including the completion of the new Decatur High gymnasium and auditorium and the renovation of the high school’s science labs.  They’ve also done some sketches of the new 5th Avenue Academy.

But many Decatur residents, myself included, were first introduced to Rosser in 2008, when the city was collecting information on whether to pursue a wide-spread annexation of surrounding unincorporated, residential and commercial property.

In a dialogue that stretched over MANY months, it was ultimately proven by residents Pat Herold and Judd Owen that there were serious discrepancies in Rosser’s student enrollment projections, which adversely affected revenue estimates.  This finding, combined with broader worries about tax revenue, was followed closely by a School Board vote against annexation (non-binding), and a tabling of the issue by Decatur’s City Commission.  The item is still tabled as far as I know.

Who will be CSD’s next project management team?  Who knows.  But one thing is for sure; between the School Board and city residents, they’ll certainly have their work cut out for them.

Pat Herold sends in this updated video explaining why Rosser’s student count for the annexation area was curiously low and what the new projected number of students looks like.  (though I’m unclear as to whether Rosser endorses this number or whether its Pat’s projection)

Bottom line: When Rosser generated the now infamous “450” figure, it was working with an earlier version of the annexation map, which included a smaller potential annexation area.  So I guess the map was updated but the student population number was not?  Eeek.

Thanks for the follow up Pat!

One question I have:  Is it too conservative to project revenue growth in the underdeveloped annexation area similar to that of already revitalized downtown Decatur?  (Pat says he takes the average city growth over the last few years) Maybe we should go back and look at revenue growth for the city back in the 1980s and 1990s when the town was experiencing its rebirth and include that too.  Then perhaps take the average growth of the entire period?

It doesn’t solve the immediate deficit, but perhaps would give a more accurate picture of what the difference between revenue and expenses would be a few years down the road.