(STURGIS) - Sturgis Public Schools has hired a company to serve as their owners representative.
During last week's meeting the Sturgis Board of Education unanimously approved hiring Plante Moran Real Point for the position, after Finance Director Ray Sterling presented the recommendation. Sterling says the Finance Committee interviewed three companies, did follow up interviews and even contacted schools that used the companies. He shared with the Board of Education that the Finance Committee's recommendation is to hire Plante Moran Real Point as the District's owners representative.
Sturgis Schools Superintendent Dr. Art Ebert says an owners representative works as a third party for a school district to be able to ask the tough questions to construction companies and to make sure what a school district wants is being done and at the price it's supposed to be done. (LISTEN ABOVE).
Ebert says the reason for making this decision now is to have a company on board so if the bond proposal passes in May of 2026, someone is ready to go when Sturgis starts their process to move forward.
Both Ebert and Sterling explained that the School District would have the discretion to use Plante Moran as they need to. If they feel that Plante Moran was needed for a certain project then they would help. If the school can handle a project on their own, then Plante Moran's services would not be needed for that specific task.