St. Paul Public Schools will hire outside experts to review what’s gone wrong with its Facilities Master Plan, whose cost estimates have grown by 61 percent in under three years.

Superintendent Joe Gothard announced plans for an “external leadership and review team” at Tuesday night’s school board meeting.

The move comes two days after a Pioneer Press report that found cost estimates for 18 high-priority school construction projects have grown by $179 million, to $471 million, since the plan first was approved in 2016.

The newspaper, citing several former district employees, also raised questions about leadership and transparency within the district’s facilities department and lacking oversight from district administrators and the elected school board.

“It is deeply concerning to have the trust of our school district questioned, and it is with every effort that I will work to build a new sense of trust to help us move forward,” Gothard said Tuesday.

Gothard also affirmed his commitment to keep improving the district’s school buildings, which he said have “tremendous needs.”

Later in the meeting, the board approved $81 million in borrowing for the next phase of the facilities plan. Despite overspending in facilities, the district’s bond ratings did not change.

And Gothard said the low cost estimates of 2016 largely were revised a year later, before the projects went to bid. Change orders on the first 16 projects under contract have totaled just $12 million, he said, increasing costs by about 5 percent.

“Five percent over budget is really something we want to strive for. It’d be great if it was zero,” Gothard said.

The superintendent said he hasn’t determined exactly what the external review will cover but he expects it will touch on project funding and scope and what’s happening in the field.

Board member Steve Marchese said the board lacks experience with construction and must rely on accurate, timely information from staff.

“Our feet need to be held to the fire, as well,” board member Jon Schumacher added, acknowledging the board’s oversight role.

Gothard said the school board will review any recommendations, and he pledged to improve communication between the staff and board.

John Brodrick, the only board member in office when the first facilities plan was approved, said he gets emotional thinking about the projects.

“I’m possibly feeling the greatest sense of responsibility and frustration that we’ve come to this point tonight where we find it necessary to explain to the public about our work with the (Facilities Master Plan),” he said.

Brodrick said he expects the review team to be candid about the district’s mistakes.

“We owe it to the people of St. Paul to stop, thoroughly examine and expose where we are now and how we got there,” he said.

Chief of Staff Cedrick Baker, who will take the lead on the review, said the administration’s goal is to take “full responsibility” for what’s happened and to move forward in a way that regains the public’s trust.

“We will provide you with communication and updates with what is happening, and that may not always be flattering for us,” he said.

Marchese wanted assurance that the review team will examine the Facilities Department’s capacity to manage the many school projects. Baker said that will be included in the review. Related Articles St. Paul schools superintendent gets high marks, but board wants progress on equity, enrollment, student achievement

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“The goal is to have a change,” Baker added. “There needs to be a change in how we operate internally.”

Facilities Director Tom Parent was in the audience for the hour-long discussion Tuesday but was not asked to speak.

His supervisor, Chief Operating Officer Jackie Turner, was absent.