HomeMy WebLinkAboutII DISCUSSION/ACTION REGARDING CHARTER SCHOOLS "CENTER OF GOOD LIVING-PRIDE OF WEST ORi,NGE" MAYOR•COMMISSIONLR
I7Ocoee S. SCOTT VANDERGRIFT
Dy: o CITY OF OCOEE COMMISSIONERS
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OCOEE,FLORIDA 34761-2258 SCOTT ANDERSON
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CITY MA[AGER
ELI.IS SHAPIRO
CITY OF OCOEE
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS #0005
TO PROVIDE
EDUCATION CONSULTING SERVICES
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT
Ocoee City Commission
Sealed Qualification Packages will be accepted for RFQ #0005; TO PROVIDE EDUCATION
CONSULTING SERVICES, no later than 11:00 AM, local time, on September 22,2000.
Qualification Packages received alter that time will not be accepted or considered. No
exceptions will be made. The City reserves the right to reject any and all Qualification Packages
and waive informalities.
All Qualification Packages must be received in the City of Ocoee, Attn: Joyce Tolbert, Buyer.
150 N. Lakeshore Drive. Ocoee, Florida 34761-2258 not later than 11:00 AM, local time, on
September 22,2000.
Prospective Respondents may secure a copy of the RFQ package from Joyce Tolbert at Ocoee
City Hall Finance Department, 150 N. Lakeshore Drive, Ocoee, FL 34761-2258. Partial sets of
RFQ documents will not be issued.
All Qualification Packages shall be submitted as one(1) original and twenty-five (25) copies in
a sealed package plainly marked on the outside with the appropriate RFQ number and closing
date and time.
No Facsimile or Telegraphic RFQ submissions will be accepted.
City Clerk September 3, 2000
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CITY OF OCOEE, FLORIDA
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS ("RFQ" #0005)
TO PROVIDE EDUCATION CONSULTING SERVICES
A. INTRODUCTION
The City of Ocoee, Florida (the "City") shall receive Qualification Packages
from qualified firms or individuals for the purpose of contracting for Education
Consulting Services.
2. All Qualification Packages must be received by the City at the location stated in
paragraph 4 of the RFQ not later than 11:00 A.M. EDT on SEPTEMBER 22,
2000. Any Qualification Package received after the above stated time and date
shall not be considered. It shall be the sole responsibility of the Respondent to
have the Qualification Package delivered to the Ocoee City Hall by U.S. mail,
hand delivery, or any other method available to them. Delay in delivery shall
not be the responsibility of the City. Qualification Packages received after the
deadline shall not be considered and may be returned only at the Respondent's
request and expense.
3. Each Respondent shall examine all Qualification Packages and shall determine
all matters relating to the interpretation of such documents. All contacts shall
be made to Joyce Tolbert, Buyer, in writing, no later than (10) ten working
days prior to RFQ due date. Potential Respondents should not contact City staff,
with the exception of Joyce Tolbert, Buyer, or other City consultants for
information during this phase of the selection process. Any contact with any
other member of the City Staff, Commission, or it Agents during this time
period may be grounds for disqualification.
4. One (1) original and twenty-five (25) copies of the RFQ must be submitted to
the Ocoee City Hall in one sealed package, clearly marked on the outside with
the appropriate RFQ number and opening date and time and sent or delivered
to:
City of Ocoee
Attn: Joyce Tolbert, Buyer
150 North Lakeshore Drive
Ocoee, FL 34761-2258
(407) 656-2322 ext. 1516
(407) 656-7835 - fax
No facsimile or telegraphic RFQ submissions will be accepted.
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5. Qualification Packages shall clearly indicate the legal name, Federal taxpayer
identification number, address, and telephone number of the Respondent (firm,
corporation, partnership, individual). Qualification Packages shall be submitted
in portrait orientation, single-sided, 12 point font, 8 'h" x 11" size paper and be
no more than sixty (60) pages maximum. The person signing the RFQ on behalf
of the Respondent shall have the legal authority to bind the Respondent to the
submitted Qualification Package.
6. All expenses for providing Qualification Packages to the City, including any
expenses incurred to participate in an interview process, shall be borne by the
Respondent.
7. Action on Qualification Packages is expected to be taken within thirty (30) days
of the due date; however, no guarantee or representation is made herein as to
the time between receipt of the Qualification Package and subsequent
Commission action.
8. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any or all Qualification Packages,
to waive irregularities and technicalities, and to request resubmission or to re-
advertise for all or any part of the RFQ. The City shall be the sole judge of the
Qualification Package and the resulting negotiated agreement that is in the
City's best interest. The City's decision shall be final.
9. All applicable laws and regulations of the United States, the State of Florida,
and the City of Ocoee will apply to any resulting agreement. The provisions of
the Consultant's Competitive Negotiations Act (Section 287.055, Florida State
Statutes) shall apply, where applicable.
10. The successful Respondent shall be required to execute an agreement, in form
and content acceptable to the City, indemnifying and holding harmless the City,
its officials, officers, employees, and agents from all claims.
11. The successful Respondent shall be required to provide evidence of both
General (Public & Property) Liability and Professional (Design Errors and
Omissions) Liability Insurance in the form of a certificate of insurance issued on
behalf of the City of Ocoee by companies acceptable to the City at the following
minimum limits and coverage's with deductible amounts acceptable to the city:
Comprehensive General Liability Insurance: $ 500,000.00
(The City of Ocoee is to be named as an additional insured)
Professional liability Insurance: $1,000,000.00
(Design Errors and Omission)
The contract shall also require that the consultant provide Worker's
Compensation Insurance for all employees engaged in this project.
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12. The City has not identified any funding sources for the proposed design,
engineering and construction of a charter school. Nothing contained in the RFQ
or any contract executed pursuant to the RFQ shall obligate the City to provide
any such funding, provided; however, that the City shall not be precluded from
doing so.
B. BACKGROUND
The City of Ocoee is the fastest growing city in Orange County, averaging more than
one new home per day over the last seven years. Our current population is
approximately 23,000. Projection for the year 2003 indicates that this city's population
will be over 29,000 and in 2010, nearly 35,000. The City of Ocoee enjoys a rich
educational heritage dating hack to the establishment of the first school in 1880. The
City has taken a proactive approach to insure that educational heritage continues well
into the next century. We have worked and will continue to work very closely with
Orange County Public Schools in planning and siting new schools within our City.
The City of Ocoee is desirous of relieving overcrowded schools, eliminating
relocatables and proactively ensuring the delivery of quality education provided in
adequate school facilities for our growing population.
The City of Ocoee is seeking education development proposals from qualified firms
who directly address the city's education objectives. Respondents may propose
innovative solutions such as utilizing public land, public partnership participations and
diversified delivery methods.
The goal of City of Ocoee is to realize the design, construction and opening of one or
more new schools by August 2001.
C. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The City of Ocoee desires to identify and contract with an established firm to (i)
prepare an initial assessment of Ocoee's immediate and long-term education needs as
they relate to the current and known demographic trends of development, (ii) establish
a plan of response to the assessment, including the development of plans, specifications
and financing methods for one or more new schools, and (iii) cause to be designed,
developed, constructed and operated one or more new schools. The firm will also be
required to deliver in a prompt and timely manner given the scope of the need.
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Proposals should be consistent with all applicable laws, orders and regulations
governing education development and the supporting facilities. Generally, the
proposal(s) should include conceptual plans and designs, financing options,
identification of debt and equity provisions, and required public incentives and any
other items pertaining to construction and/or implementation of any proposed services.
Proposed financial obligations of the City should be specifically identified.
The agreement may provide for a phased process with the right of the City to terminate
the agreement at anytime, with or without cause.
D. SUBMITTALS
1. Respondents shall list names, addresses, and qualifications of any and all sub-
consultants.
2. Respondents shall include completed Standard Forms 245 and 255 with their
Qualification Package.
3. Qualification Packages shall be designed to portray to the City how the
Respondent's range of services can best achieve the goal of adding at least one
(1) new school by August 2001. In order for the City to evaluate the
Qualification Packages, each Respondent shall provide information relative to
their ability to provide services that will best meet the needs of the City. At a
minimum, this information shall include:
a. A list and description of the Respondent team's experience involving
similar services to public clients in the past five years. Include both
planned and actual project size, overall project cost, and overall project
schedule. If applicable, identify the specific financial commitments and
obligations undertaken by the public entity. Proposals that maximize
partnerships and utilization of existing or projected public property
and/or infrastructure have inherent benefit to the City. For each of these
projects, list the name and telephone number of an owner's
representative of the project who can verify satisfactory performance.
b. Names and qualifications of professional personnel assigned to work or
consult with the City on this project.
c. State or local availability and degree of accessibility to the City relative
to this project.
d. Client references with particular emphasis on municipal/governmental
clients and projects.
e. Names, addresses and previous affiliations if the firm proposes to use
specialty consultant services.
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f. The number of the Respondent's State Certificate of Registration or
Certificate of Authority for the practice of architecture, engineering, or
planning.
g. Concrete information indicating the Respondent's willingness to meet
time and budget requirements for completion of services.
h. Recent current and projected work under contract.
Financial Statement may be required upon request of the City.
j. Provide a complete description of how the Respondent will go about
assessing and delivering innovative educational solutions and outline
how the Respondent will put together partnerships. Describe your
ability to perform development, financial, design, construction and/or
education functions.
E. SELECTION CRITERIA
The City desires to award the contract to the Respondent that demonstrates the ability
to provide the highest quality of service at the most reasonable cost. To accomplish
this goal, the City's criteria for selection shall include, but is not limited to:
1. Ability to provide the type and quality of services that will best meet the needs
of the City.
2. Quality and extent of experience with similar projects.
3. Degree of imagination, creativity, innovation, cost-effectiveness and efficiency
reflected in the Qualification Package.
4. Fiscal stability of firm.
5. Minority Business Enterprise participation on proposed project team.
F. SELECTION AND RANKING
The City Commission has appointed a Committee to review all Qualification Packages
submitted. Based upon an evaluation of the Qualification Packages submitted, the
Selection Committee will, if possible, short-list a minimum of three (3) Respondents.
These Respondents may be required to prepare a technical Qualification Package and
make a formal presentation relative to their qualifications, approach to the project, and
ability to provide services to best serve the needs of the City.
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After evaluations, discussions, and, if required, formal presentations are completed, the
City Commission will rank Respondents in order of qualification as determined by the
City Commission, whose decision shall be final.
G. NEGOTIATIONS AND CONTRACT AWARD
After the ranking is completed, the City will attempt to negotiate an agreement with the
top-ranked Respondent, which will be in the best interest of the City. The agreement
will cover all aspects of the project described herein. The top-ranked respondent will
be required to submit a proposed contract to the City.
If no agreement is reached with the top-ranked Respondent. negotiations will be
terminated and initiated with the second-ranked Respondent, and so on, until an
agreement is reached.
All successful Respondents shall be required to execute an agreement providing that all
plans, drawings, reports, and specifications that result from Respondent's services shall
become the property of the City.
The City reserves the right, before awarding the contract, to require a Respondent to
submit such evidence of its qualifications as it may deem necessary. The City shall be
the sole judge of the competency of Respondents.
Upon the successful negotiation of an agreement, a formal contract will be prepared
and submitted to the City Commission for approval, and executed by both parties.
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May 1996
For more information, please contact:
Mr. Tracey Ballsy, Director
Office of Charter Schools & School Choice
The Turlington Building, Room 522
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400
Phone: (850) 414-0780
1996 Charter School Application -- Standard Format -
Please answer the following questions as thoroughly and clearly as possible in the sequence in
which they appear. Following each question is a brief description of the standards which may be
used to review your application. These review standards are not intended to be exhaustive or
prescriptive, but rather should serve as a helpful guide as you attempt to formulate your response.
•
I. ACADEMIC DESIGN
1 ) Mission:
A. Describe the core philosophy or underlying purpose of the proposed school.
B. Describe the target student population to be served, including student ages and grade
levels at the school.
What reviewers will look for: Clearly articulated vision for an innovative public school which will lead to improved
educational outcomes and greater community ownership of the local school;
consistency between mission and the educational programs as a means to achieve this.
2) Educational Program:
A. Describe the educational program of the school, providing an overview of curriculum
objectives and content of the main subject areas.
B. Briefly outline the instructional methods to be used, including any distinctive
instructional techniques to be employed. How will this pedagogy enhance student
learning?
C. Describe how your school will meet the needs of Exceptional Education students,
including limited English proficient students.
What reviewers will look for: Innovative teaching methods and curriculum approaches; substantive overview of
curriculum; consistency between the mission, curriculum, and student population to be
served; Compliance with applicable regulations to meet the needs of limited English
proficient and special needs students in the school program.
3) Student Assessment:
A. Describe your plan to assess student performance in the core academic areas. Please
include the current baseline standard of achievement, the outcomes to be achieved and
the method(s) of measurement to be used.
B. Describe the methods used to identify the educational strengths and needs of students
and the extent to which educational goals and performance standards are being met.
C. Describe how students will, at a minimum, participate in the statewide assessment
program.
D. For secondary charter schools, describe the method for determining that a student has
satisfied the requirements for graduation in section 232.246, Florida Statutes.
What reviewers will look for: Commitment to high academic standards for all students; well-developed assessment
mechanisms; understanding of the state assessment requirements.
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1996 Florida Charter School Application Format. Page 1
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1996 Charter School Application -- Standard Format
II. GOVERNANCE & MANAGEMENT
1 ) Profile of the Founding Board and/or Initial Incorporators:
A Describe the organizing group of initial incorporators that is working together to apply for
a charter, including the names of the organizers, their background and experiences, and
references for each.
B. Discuss any business arrangements or partnerships with existing schools, educational
programs, businesses, or non-profit organizations.
What reviewers will look for: A well-balanced group which brings together people with a range of professional skills
capable of the organizational, financial, pedagogical, legal, and other tasks required to
open a functioning public school; local representation; meets requirements of law.
2) School Governance:
A. Describe the governance structure of the school, including the status of the charter
school as a public or private employer as required in subsection (7) of the statute.
B. Describe the administrative management structure of the school.
C. Describe how the board of directors will be chosen and what steps will be taken to
maintain continuity between the founding organizer's vision and that of the permanently
established board of directors.
D. Describe the roles and responsibilities of the governing board, including the relationship
of the governing board to teachers and administrators.
E. Discuss the proposed method for resolving conflicts between the governing board of the
charter school and the sponsor.
F. Discuss the nature of parental involvement in decision-making matters.
G. Discuss how the charter school will comply with Florida statutes relating to public
records and public meetings. (chapter 119, Florida Statues & s. 286.011, Florida Statues)
What reviewers will look for: Stable, effective, and comprehensive governance model; consistency with mission;
clearly defined roles of the board and its interaction with staff; appropriate teacher and
parent input in school decision-making; well developed, viable administrative
management structure; knowledge of and compliance with public information laws.
3) Length of Contract & Implementation Timetable:
A. State the length of the initial charter term, up to 3 years. Technically, the charter may be
terminated before that period, as described in subsection (10) of the charter statute.
In any case, the charter school is subject to an annual review of academic progress.
B. Present a timetable for implementing the charter, which addresses the implementation
of each element thereof and the date by which the charter shall be awarded in order to
meet this timetable.
4) Evidence of Support:
A. Try to convey as clearly and concretely as possible the scope of community backing for
the proposed charter school and its founding board. Document this community support
among teachers, parents, students, community members and institutional leaders and
others, through the use of letters of support, surveys, or other tangible means.
What reviewers will look for: Evidence that the founders inspire the confidence of their targeted
cnmmunity;evidence that the program provides an attractive educational altemative to
students and parents; breadth of community support extending well beyond the core
group of founders.
1996 Florida Charter School Application Format. Page 2
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1996 Charter School.Application -- Standard Format
III. FINANCE & FACILITIES
•
1 ) Facilities:
A. Describe the facilities to be used and their location, or alternatively, describe your
present options for a school building.
B. Demonstrate how this site would be a suitable facility for the proposed school, including
any plans to renovate and bring facility into compliance with all applicable local building
codes.
C. If applicable, discuss any progress, partnership developments, or other future steps
towards acquisition of a school building.
D. Describe financing plans for facilities, it applicable.
What reviewers will look for: Progress toward identifying and acquiring an adequate school facility.
2) Finances:
A. Describe the financial management and internal accounting procedures of the school.
B. Present a budget for start-up expenses, covering only the planning and capital
expenses necessary before school opening.
C. Present a 3-year budget covering all projected sources of revenue, both public and
private, and planned expenditures.
D. Do you plan to conduct any fund-raising efforts to generate capital or to supplement the
per pupil allocations? If so, briefly explain.
E. Explain the manner in which the school will be insured, including liability insurance.
What reviewers will look for: Sound financial planning; fiscal viability of the school.
3) Recruiting & Marketing Plan:
A. Demonstrate how you will publicize the school to attract a sufficient pool of applicants.
B. What steps will be taken to reach students representative of the racial and socio-
economic diversity in the community, including typically "harder to reach" families?
What reviewers will look for: A solid plan to attract sufficient students to operate a school; effort to publicize the
school to a broad audience in order to foster a student body representative of the local
community;and recruitment efforts which seek to ensure a match between the school
program and applicants'educational and personal needs.
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1996 Florida Charter School Application Format. Page 3
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1996 Charter School Application -- Standard Format
IV. OPERATIONS
1 ) Admissions & Registration Plan:
A. Describe the admissions procedures and dismissal procedures you will use.
B. Describe the timetable to be used for registering & admitting students, including a plan
for the admission lottery if the number of applicants exceeds the program capacity.
C. Describe the ways in which the school will endeavor to achieve a racial/ethnic balance
reflective of the community it serves.
D. In the case of an existing school being converted to charter status, suggest alternative
arrangements for current students who choose not to attend the charter school.
What reviewers will look for: Consistency with the mission of the school; a non-discriminatory admissions process;
timely and realistic procedures for admitting students;.compliance with charter school
legislation.
2) Human Resource Information:
A. Describe the standards to be used in the hiring process of teachers, administrators and
other school staff.
B. Describe your human resource policies governing: salaries, contracts, hiring &
dismissal, and benefit packages.
C. Describe how the qualifications of the teachers will be described to parents considering
the charter school for their children, as required in the charter statute.
D. What is the targeted staff size, staffing plan, and projected student-to-teacher ratio?
E. In the case of an existing school being converted to charter status, suggest alternative
arrangements for current teachers who choose not to teach in the school after
conversion. These suggestions may or may not be adopted by the local school board,
which alone bears full responsibility for the placement of any of district employees who
choose not to work in the charter school. (Any teacher choosing not to work in the charter
school must be treated by the school board in accordance with the existing collective-bargaining
agreement or with school board policy in the absence of a collective bargaining agreement.)
What reviewers will look for: High professional standards for teachers and other staff; commitment to professional
development of staff; working conditions and compensation packages which will attract
quality staff;compliance with labor laws, fingerprinting and background checks.
3) Transportation:
A. Discuss the plans for transporting students to and from school. What arrangements, if
any, will be made with the local school district, private providers, or with parents?
B. Charter schools are responsible for providing transportation for students residing within
a "reasonable distance" of the charter school. How has that reasonable distance been
defined in your charter transportation plan? What factors helped form the basis for this
distance determination?
C. Describe the policies which will help ensure that transportation is not a barrier to equal
access for all students.
D. If the school district is under court-ordered desegregation, describe how that has been
taken into account in the transportation plan.
What reviewers will look for: A workable, fair, non-discriminatory and cost-effective arrangement for safely
transporting students to and from school.
1996 Florida Charter School Application Format. Page 4
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1996 Charter School Application -- Standard Format
V. FINAL DOCUMENTATION
To be submitted odor to the opening of the charter school
"Conditional Approval" of a charter school may be granted prior to the final submission of these
documents. Final authorization to operate the charter school will almost certainly be contingent
upon the submission of these documents, however.
1) Facilities Safety Approval:
A. In order to demonstrate the safety and structural soundness of the school and
compliance with applicable state minimum building codes and fire protection codes,
please submit written documentation of:
• Inspection by a local building inspector;
• Inspection by local Fire Department;
• Compliance with all other federal and state health & safety laws and regulations.
B. Submit a final site plan.
2) Governance Documents:
A. Submit copies of the school's articles of incorporation, by-laws, contracts, and other
documents required by applicable law.
B. Updated board members' names, addresses, phone numbers, résumés and disclosure
information.
3) Insurance, Final Budgets, & Other:
A. Present your school's insurance coverage plans, including applicable health, general
liability, property insurance, and Director's and Officer's liability coverage, if any.
B. Submit updated budgets.
C. Final school calendars.
1996 Florida Charter School Application Format. Page 5