Minority participation in TPS projects is up

4/5/2005

The Toledo Public Schools' plan to include minority and female contractors in its $821 million construction program made slight advances during the second quarter, according to a report released yesterday.

Contracts awarded to minority-owned firms increased from 6 percent to 6.37 percent, the report said. The use of female-owned firms also increased slightly.

The Northwest Ohio Black Chamber of Commerce announced in January that large construction companies were not living up to promises of using minority subcontractors.

The school district hired the chamber in July to monitor the construction program's "inclusion plan."

According to district records, minority-owned firms should make up 20 percent of any contracts over $250,000, and female-headed companies should make up 5 percent of those. In addition, the goals for work force composition are 20 percent minority, 5 percent female, and 25 percent district resident.

The school district is paying up to $70,000 for the monitoring program.