The Breeze ran an interesting story from George Sanchez of our sister paper, the Daily News, about the hefty costs of LAUSD Facilities Division's use of outside consultants for top jobs in its massive construction program.
Even while grappling with funding shortfalls, the Los Angeles Unified School District is employing more than 800 consultants - paid, on average, more than twice as much as regular employees - to oversee school construction.
The Facilities Services Division spends about $182 million on its 849 consultants, almost $215,000 each. The division's regular employees are paid about $99,000 each.(snip)
And facilities chief Guy Mehula said employee salaries don't measure up to industry wages, so the only way to complete the work is by using independent contractors.
(snip)
Los Angeles Unified's refusal to raise the wages for employees and management in the facilities division has long been a concern of the bond oversight committee, composed of parents, local government officials and representatives of special-interest groups.
The committee passed a resolution July 31 condemning the district for not paying higher wages, stating that the ability to attract and retain "top quality management" is being compromised.
Sanchez notes that - with budget cuts and a furlough planned for the coming school year - it's probably not "politically viable" for the district to raise salaries for employees within the Facilities Division.
A report is expected on the matter next week, Sanchez writes.
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