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On Thursday, the Mississippi State Board of Education approved a multi-million dollar deal with the company whose vice president was chairman of the state board until last spring.
The board voted 5-2 to approve a deal with PATH Company, which manages the loan program established by Congress earlier this year. The deal will pay up to $3.6 million over four years, with $1.2 million in the first year. His two members of the company’s management team have ties to the state government. Jason Dean, Senior Vice President of Business Development, is a former chairman of the State Board of Education, and Nathan Wells, co-founder and principal, is a former Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the House. Philip Gunn.
The Education Facilities Revolving Loan Fund provides funding available as interest-free loans for school districts to repair or refurbish existing school buildings and build new pre-kindergarten programs and career and technical education facilities. In its first year of operation, Congress allocated $40 million to the Revolving Loan Fund.
The company is responsible for reviewing district construction plans to ensure they are “critical infrastructure improvements” and complying with building codes required by state law, and for tracking loan repayments. increase.
When Mississippi Today asked about Dean’s employment and potential conflicts of interest, the Mississippi Department of Education pointed to a Public Procurement Review Board manual. It’s been a year since the former member retired. Dean said he will leave the board in April 2021.
Dean told Mississippi Today that the contract was awarded through a public competition that many other construction management companies could have applied for, but did not.
“Obviously, I know members of the state school board,” Dean told Mississippi Today. “I did not contact them or use personal relationships to influence their decisions. I wanted them to be awarded objectively based on merit.”
State board member Bill Jacobs questioned why so much money was spent on reviewing construction plans and maintaining financial records, and why PATH Company had to invest in accounting firms and similar financial institutions. I asked if they oversee the loan repayment program and not the institution.
Felicia Gavin, director of operations for the Mississippi Department of Education, said the law that created the program does not allow spending more than 3% of the funds on administrative costs, and the contract complies with this. said. Gavin also said that PATH Company was the only group to apply for the contract, but that the proposal met all criteria, including financial management ability. The company’s website describes its efforts as “helping entities utilize technology to create greater efficiencies in the areas of energy, water, and/or operations.”
Dean added that PATH has an in-house financial manager, and said in its proposal that the company would bring in an additional accounting firm to help manage the finances of its loans.
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State Board of Education awards $3.6 million contract to government-linked company
The Mississippi State Board of Education on Thursday approved a multi-million dollar deal with the company whose vice president was chairman of the state board until last spring.
the committee approve the contract to PATH Company to manage a loan program established by Congress earlier this year. The deal will pay him up to $3.6 million over four years, making him $1.2 million in the first year. His two members of the company’s management team have ties to the state government. Jason Dean, Senior Vice President of Business Development, is former chairman of the State Board of Education, and Nathan Wells, co-founder and principal, is former chief of staff to the Speaker of the House. Philip Gunn.
The Educational Facilities Revolving Loan Fund provides funding that school districts can use as interest-free loans for repairs or renovations of existing school buildings and new construction of pre-kindergarten programs and career and technical education facilities. In its first year of operation, Congress allocated his $40 million to the Revolving Loan Fund.
The company is responsible for reviewing district construction plans to ensure they are “significant infrastructure improvements.”
When Mississippi Today asked about possible conflicts of interest with Dean’s employment, the Mississippi Department of Education noted: The Public Procurement Review Board manual stipulates that a former board member will be considered a conflict of interest only if the former board member left the board less than a year ago. Dean said she will leave her board in April 2021.
Dean told Mississippi Today that the contract was awarded through an open competition that many other construction management companies could have entered, but didn’t.
“Obviously, I know members of the state school board,” Dean told Mississippi Today. “I did not contact them or use personal relationships to influence decisions. I wanted them to be awarded objectively based on merit.And why PATH Company? I asked if the company oversees a loan repayment program rather than an accounting firm or similar financial institution.
Felicia Gavin, director of operations for the Mississippi Department of Education, said the law that created the program allowed it. No more than 3% of the funds spent on administrative costs to comply with the contract. Gavin also said that PATH Company was the only group to apply for the contract, but that the proposal met all criteria, including financial management ability. The company’s website describes its work as “helping entities use technology to create greater efficiencies in the areas of energy, water, and/or operations.”
Dean added that PATH has. In his proposal, the company said it would bring in an additional accounting firm to help manage the loans financially.
thisarticleteeth,Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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