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Denver schools claim bond measure will boost contracting diversity

The Denver Public Schools (DPS) district is in the midst of two major ventures: the first being a $572 million bond measure that is up for public vote in the November 2016 elections, and the second being shoring up its Equitable and Inclusive Contracting Policy.

The bond measure in question would allow for construction of new schools, renovation of existing schools, the installation of climate control systems in schools currently without such systems, and the provision of devices such as computers to students.

The Equitable and Inclusive Contracting Policy, meanwhile, has resulted in the hiring of Murugan Palani to oversee the Policy as the director of business diversity and outreach for DPS. The Policy was instituted following a 2014 report that found that minority and women owned businesses received only 8.2 percent of prime contracting funds from DPS between 2009 and 2013, despite receiving 24.2 percent of subcontractor funds.

Some are skeptical, however, that these ventures will actually result in increased opportunity for minority and women-owned firms doing business with DPS. Among these skeptics are Ronald and Michael Roybal, of the Roybal Corp., who have filed suit against DPS for alleged discriminatory practices in the awarding of bids.

The Roybals have claimed that it is likely that minority and women owned businesses will receive only around 1 percent of the funds from the proposed 2016 bond. This estimate is partially based on a 2014 report that found 1.3 percent of bond-financed DPS funds went to minority and women owned businesses between 2007 and 2010. The Roybals have also criticized other alleged discrepancies betweens goals and outcomes of the bidding process, with reference to the Swansea Elementary project, among other instances.

The extent to which the bond up for the vote this election will end up providing opportunities to disadvantaged firms will no doubt be watched closed by many minority and women owned businesses.