DesotoExplorer.com / District to form committee to select architect finalists

Archive for Thursday, July 10, 2008

July 10, 2008

Should voters approve the district's $75 million bond resolution in November, the De Soto USD 232 Board of Education might select a different architectural firm to complete the projects.

Although Hollis and Miller Architects produced the concept drawings the board used when developing the bond resolution, the board agreed to allow district facilities director Denis Johnson to put out a request for qualifications to architectural firms.

During the 2007 school board election, reform in the district's bidding process became a campaign issue, so the board agreed to seek requests for qualifications in order to make sure the district gets the most bang for its buck.

The board also approved forming a committing to review the candidates, which would include two board members, two district administrators, a high school principal, an elementary school principal and two patrons, one from the east and one from the west sides of the district. The board did not select which members would serve on that committee. Johnson's timeline included presenting the top three to five architects to the board at its meeting Sept. 8.

Hollis and Miller has been the district's architect since 1992, Johnson said.

He said going out to bid for architectural services doesn't reflect on Hollis and Miller's performance.

"They've done a great job," he said. "The board just wants to see what else is out there."