V26270411RFP - General Contractor Construction Services - Lease Leaseback

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/PROPOSALS
FOR
GENERAL CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION
SERVICES - LEASE LEASEBACK
RFQ/P# V26270411RFP
PROPOSAL DEADLINE DATE:
SEPTEMBER 25, 2026
BY 2:00PM
SUBMIT TO:
VISTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
ATTN: MR. KEVIN LESKO,
DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING
1234 ARCADIA AVE
VISTA, CA 92084

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/PROPOSALS
FOR
GENERAL CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION
SERVICES - LEASE LEASEBACK
SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION
Vista Unified School District (VUSD) is requesting proposals from qualified firms to provide
comprehensive general construction services for the design and construction of a variety of
existing school site expansions and enhancements. Other district projects may also be awarded
based on the submission of these proposals. These projects will be funded from a variety of
available funding sources, including, but not limited to potential future bond measure funding.
These projects will utilize a lease leaseback delivery method.
The selected general contractor firm ("General Contractor") will review construction plans in
detail to confirm the ability to construct projects within the schedules and provide baseline
schedules/budgets as the District established in this request for proposal. The General
Contractor will be responsible for identifying all drawing and specification changes, additions,
clarifications, and bid packaging which will be required prior to bid to ensure that these
established schedules and budgets will be achieved, with minimal change orders during
construction.
The General Contractor will competitively procure trade subcontractors in accordance with
Education Code 17406 and Public Contract Code 20111.6, holding all subcontracts directly
as an entity, provide administration oversight & coordination between their subcontractors,
architect, owner, LOR, IOR & any other agencies required for design approval and final
certification of the project (i.e. DSA, DEH, SDG&E, City of Vista, VID, etc.), during project
construction through project closeout and the end of the warranty period.
The General Contractor will perform all offsite and agency coordination activities for these
projects on behalf of the District, including but not limited to: (1) establishment and coordination
of all wet and dry utility services to the on-site tie-ins, and (2) coordination of site grading,
perimeter road improvements, and utility provisions of the developers providing these sites to
the District.
The General Contractor will ensure a smooth completion and start-up of the constructed
facilities and all associated systems and equipment sufficiently in advance of the required
completion dates to ensure school staff move-in and training on the facilities prior to the start of
school classes.
The General Contractor will ensure prompt warranty responses from their sub-contractors
throughout the first year of occupancy (warranty period).
VUSD will compare and evaluate all qualifying general contractor proposals and select a firm or
combination of multiple firms that provide the best value for the District. The following factors
should be incorporated in your proposals:

Ability to prepare preliminary schedules and preliminary budgets for projects
Fee competitiveness
Ability to meet budgets and timelines established by the District
Ability to address each of the program needs of the District
Ability to provide superior management of construction and coordination of related activities
Understanding of the District's educational goals, objectives, and management methods
Professional excellence and demonstrated competence
Specialized experience of the firm
Training and experience of key personnel
Staff capacity, depth, and workload
Documenting and reporting of project conditions and status
Nature and quality of the firm's completed work
Reliability and continuity of the firm
Location of the firm's offices
Experience working with State Agencies on State-funded School Facility Program projects
Other considerations deemed relevant by the District
Evaluation of proposals will be scored, and weighted per the following structure:
Relevant Project Experience & Past Performance: 25 Points
Key Personnel & Staffing Capacity: 20 Points
Fee & General Conditions Proposal: 25 Points
Technical Approach, Safety Record & Best Value Plan: 15 Points
District Values Alignment (Equity, Sustainability, Local Workforce): 15 Points
To receive consideration by the District, firms submitting proposals must have experience both
as a General Contractor, Lease Leaseback Contractor and as General Contractor for California
Public School Construction projects.
Firms submitting proposals must submit one (1) original unbound hard copy and one (1)
electronic copy (thumb drive) in Adobe Portable Document File format of the Statement of
Qualifications ("SoQ") no later than 2:00 p.m. on September 25, 2026.
Proposals are to be prepared fully at the proposers' expense. Proposals received remain the
property of the District. The District reserves the right to accept or reject all proposals.
Each firm shall submit the Statement of Qualifications ("SoQ") prominently marked with
"REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS/PROPOSALS FOR
GENERAL CONTRACTOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES - LEASE LEASEBACK -
V26270411RFP" and the name of the firm submitting the SoQ. The proposer must comply with
the licensure requirements under Education Code 17406 et. seq.
SoQ shall be submitted to the District, as follows:
Deadline for Submittal of Responses:
No later than 2:00 p.m. on September 25,
2026 Late Responses will be returned
unopened.

Method of delivery:
Hand delivery, FEDEX, UPS or other mail/shipping service. Responses sent by Facsimile
(FAX) or email will not be accepted. It is the sole responsibility of the responding firm to
ensure the timeliness of the delivery.
Delivery Address:
Vista Unified School District
ATTN: Mr. Kevin Lesko - Director of Purchasing
1234 Arcadia Ave
Vista, CA 92084
Proposers are required to disclose any relationships with the District and execute the non-
collusion affidavit included with this RFQ/P. The original SoQ shall be submitted and signed in
blue ink, by an authorized individual or officer of the firm submitting the proposal.
Firms interested in submitting proposals should not contact District Governing Board members,
the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents or any other officials or staff of the District. The
District may reject proposals if a firm or its representatives make direct contact with the District.
Firms may contact the District's Director of Purchasing with questions, or requests for
clarification related to this RFQ/P via email:
Questions, requests for explanation or clarifications in regard to this RFQ/P shall be made in
written form and submitted via email before 2:00 p.m. on September 11, 2026 to Mr. Kevin
Lesko, Director of Purchasing- kevinlesko@vistausd.org.
The District will advise all parties known to have received a copy of the RFQ/P of responses to the
requests for explanation or clarification by email and via posting on
https://www.vistausd.org/departments/businessservices/fiscal-services/purchasing. All parties
interested in responding to the RFQ/P are responsible for checking the websites for any
updates.
Prequalification Requirements: California Public Contract Code 20111.6 mandates
prequalification for General Contractors and MEPS subcontractors (C-4, C-7, C-10, C-16,
C-20, C-34, C-36, C-42, C-43, and C-46) on school projects over $1M.
All firms are required to be pre-qualified through the PQBIDS Platform at the following link:
https://pqbids.com/vista-usd/
SECTION 2 - SELECTION PROCESS/ PROJECT TIMETABLE
The following timeframe is presented as a general guideline:
1. RFI Deadline: 2:00 p.m. September 11, 2026
2. Issue Answers/Addendum: September 18, 2026
3. Proposals due: 2:00 p.m. September 25, 2026

SECTION 3 - PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The District's Long Range Facilities Master Plan includes but is not limited to: new construction,
classroom modernization, site modernization, fire, life, health and safety, security, information
technology infrastructure, utility infrastructure, systems infrastructure and associated equipment,
athletic facilities (title ix), athletic playing fields (title ix), portable renovation and/or removal,
fixtures, furnishings and equipment projects. The District intends to use this RFQ/P to augment
the contractor pool to award a pool of pre-qualified contractors to provide comprehensive
general construction services under a lease leaseback delivery method for all District projects,
regardless of the funding source. The four vendors that are already awarded in the Measure LL
Pool are: Balfour Beatty, Bernards, Neff Construction, and Swinerton. Projects are to be
assigned, and/or determined through an informal competitive process within the awarded pool.
Being Selected to this pool is not a guarantee of any work.

SECTION 4 - SCOPE OF SERVICES:
Pre-Construction Phase. The selected LLB General Contractor shall work collaboratively with
the District and its Architect of Record to provide preconstruction consulting services pursuant to
Education Code 17406, including:
1. Design Meetings. Attend meetings with staff, special consultants and Architect to
review scope, plans and specifications, project strategy, schedule and phasing plan.
Responsible for providing input on streamlining the project in regards to timely or early
delivery of project and within or under budget.
2. Estimating, Scheduling, and Cost/Design Control. Review the designs in detail to
confirm the ability to construct these projects within the schedules and budgets
established in this request for proposal. Provide baseline budget & schedule. Identify all
drawing and specification changes, additions, clarifications, and bid packaging which will
be required prior to bid to ensure that these established schedules and budgets will be
achieved, with very minimal change orders during construction. Prepare independent
estimates and develop cost reduction alternates as needed to achieve budgetary goals.
3. Preliminary Construction Schedule. Responsible for preparing and providing a
preliminary construction schedule that complies with District expectations of taking
occupancy within the timeline that the District sets. This includes building into the
schedule, the provision:
A. of adequate time for Agency review and approval of drawings, including planning
drawings, permits, etc., [example: DSA, offsite, SDG&E, DEH, traffic control, etc.,]
B. of adequate time for long lead items
C. of adequate time for phasing of work if required
D. of adequate time for commissioning of systems, including Agency approvals and
sign-offs [state elevator, DSA, DEH, etc.,]
E. of adequate time for punch list corrections
F. of adequate time for training
G. of adequate time for District personnel to set up the classrooms and associated
support spaces [IT install & setup, furniture, etc.,].
4. Site Logistics Plan. Responsible for preparing and providing a site logistics plan with
associated written narrative that includes:
A. Management of construction area
B. Management of pedestrian and vehicular traffic
C. Management of deliveries
D. Understanding of Bell Schedules and Extracurricular Activities
[athletics, band, etc.,]
5. Bidding Procedures. Develop and expedite bidding procedures for bid document
issuance, bidder tracking and receipt of bids.
6. Generate Bidder Interest. Maintain contact with potential bidders on a regular basis
throughout the bid period. This includes bonded subcontractors and suppliers.
Coordinate and ensure subcontractors and associated bidders are pre-qualified with
VUSD prior to bid & award of project. Contractors whose scope of work is valued to be
$1M or above are to be pre-qualified with the District.

7. Bid Advertisements. Prepare and place notices and advertisements to solicit bids on the
projects in accordance with Public Contract Code requirements. Include good faith effort
for DVBE requirements.
8. Prepare and Expedite Bid Document Delivery. Coordinate and expedite the
preparation and delivery of bid documents and addenda to the bidders.
9. Pre-Bid Conference(s). Conduct pre-bid conference(s) as required.
10. Coordination and Inquiries. Coordinate communications related to bidder inquiries
and seek resolution for the appropriate party and timely forward such information to
bidders.
11. Addenda Review. Review each addendum during the bid phase for the cost, or
constructability impact, and make appropriate comments or recommendations.
12. Bid Evaluation. Open bids and evaluate bids for completeness, full responsiveness
and price, including alternate prices and unit prices, and develop contract award
recommendations.
13. Construction Contract. Prepare the construction contracts and issue Notices to
Proceed, upon Governing Board approval. Provide value engineering guidance, input,
administration and assistance.
14. Constructability Review. Review construction processes from start to finish during pre-
construction phase; identify obstacles before project is built; reduce or prevent errors,
delays, and cost overruns; review plans and specifications to prevent errors, delays and
cost overruns. Provide a running list of comments including tracking items from
identification of potential issues to resolution of comment.
Construction Phase: General Contractor will provide services commencing between the
contract award and the pre-construction meeting and continuing thirty-five (35) days beyond the
final filing of the notices of completion. Examples:
1. Pre-construction Conference. Conduct pre-construction and pre-installation orientation
conferences for the benefit of the successful contractor, orienting them to the reporting
procedures and site rules prior to the commencement of actual construction.
2. Site Logistics Plan. Responsible for preparing and providing a site logistics plan with
associated written narrative that includes:
A. Management of construction area
B. Management of pedestrian and vehicular traffic
C. Management of deliveries
D. Understanding of Bell Schedules and Extracurricular
Activities [athletics, band, etc.,]
3. Construction Management. Manage the construction in a manner identical to a
General Contractor's role. This includes providing experienced field supervision
coordinating and planning a streamlined and efficient execution of the work. Supervision
is responsible for submitting timely: Requests For Information (RFI's), inspection
requests, coordination of shutdowns, etc., This supervision is responsible for Quality
Control of all work prior to inspection requests, during construction, through punch list
corrections to project closeout and warranty period.

4. Submittal Procedures. Establish and implement procedures established in the contract
for submittals, change orders, payment requests and other procedures; maintain logs,
files, and other necessary documentation. Responsible for identifying any long lead
items and managing the submittal process to pre-empt any potential delays to the
project. Responsible for coordinating a streamlined, efficient and timely submission of
any required deferred submittals.
5. Job Site Meetings. Coordinate weekly job-site progress meetings with contractor(s),
record, transcribe and distribute minutes to all attendees, the District, the Architect, and
all other appropriate parties. This includes Foremen's Meetings, Pull-Planning meetings
and any other meetings required for a successful completion of the project.
6. Exercise of Contract Prerogative. When appropriate and when approved by the
District, enforce the District's contract prerogatives, such as giving the contractor notice
to accelerate the progress when the schedule goals are in jeopardy due to contractor
failings, withholding payment for cause and other prerogatives when required to achieve
contract compliance.
7. Master Construction Schedule. Prepare and update the master construction schedule
and distribute the updated master schedule to the District, Architect and other
appropriate parties.
8. Computerize the Construction Schedule. Prepare the detailed master program as
well as the master construction schedule utilizing appropriate computer software;
Primavera P6 or similar. This information will be the basis for all future reports reflecting
actual project progress during the construction phase. The contractors shall provide their
detailed schedules in accordance with the contract documents and this will be used to
establish the master schedule.
9. Construction Schedule. Responsible for preparing and providing a construction
schedule that complies with District expectations of taking occupancy within the timeline
that the District sets. This includes building into the schedule, the provision:
A. of adequate time for Agency review and approval of drawings, including
planning drawings, permits, etc., [example: DSA, offsite, SDG&E, DEH,
traffic control, etc.,]
B. of adequate time for long lead items
C. of adequate time for phasing of work if required
D. of adequate time for commissioning of systems, including Agency
approvals and sign-offs [state elevator, DSA, DEH, etc.,]
E. of adequate time for punch list corrections
F. of adequate time for training
G. of adequate time for District personnel to set up the classrooms and
associated support spaces [IT install & setup, furniture, etc.,].
A cost loaded schedule utilizing the Critical Path Method (CPM) will be required on
projects that are in excess of $5M. A professional contract scheduler with a minimum
3-years experience in developing and maintaining complex Critical Path Schedules will
be required.
10. Monthly Construction Schedule Updates. Prepare and distribute monthly construction
updates. After an evaluation of the actual progress as observed by the General
Contractor, scheduled activities will be assigned percentage-complete values in
conjunction with the contractor. The report will reflect actual progress as compared to

schedule progress noting variances. This report will also be the basis for determining
implementation of certain District prerogatives concerning progress of the project, when
required.
Recovery Schedule. If requested by the District, the General Contractor shall assist
the contractors in preparing a recovery schedule. This recovery schedule will reflect
the corrective action and extraordinary efforts to be undertaken.
Claims Analysis. General Contractor's service shall focus on preventing claims.
Contractor Claims Negotiations. If required, the General Contractor will negotiate
claims with the contractor on behalf of the District.
Construction Schedule. Upon the District's transmission of a Notice of Award to the
successful contractors, the General Contractor will review the contractors'
development of their detailed construction schedules. The General Contractor will
receive and distribute the detailed construction schedules to the contractors, the
District, the Architect and other parties.
Schedule of Values. The General Contractor will review and reconcile each
contractors' schedule of values for each of the activities included in construction
schedules. This report will then be used as the basis for all future progress
payments during the construction phase.
Completion. The General Contractor in conjunction with the Architect will, after all
corrective action of all punch list items, make a final comprehensive review of the
project, make a report to the District which will indicate whether the General
Contractor and the Architect find the work performed acceptable under the contract
documents and the relevant project data, and make recommendations as to final
payment to the contractor.
11. Construction Progress Review. Review the progress of construction with the
contractors, observe work in place and properly store materials monthly, and evaluate
the percentage complete of each construction activity as indicated in the construction
schedule.
12. Monthly Contractor Payment. Present a single monthly progress payment requested
to the District, detailing the amounts to be disbursed to the Prime Contractors, in an AIA
format acceptable to the District. Monitor, enforce, collect, and document certified
payroll compliance for DIR for each progress payment.
13. Change Order Processing System. Establish and implement a Change Order
processing system, which will minimize change orders. Ensure that all change orders
are resolved as follows:
Design errors/omissions - offset by reductions in Architect/Engineer fees
Missed coverage/coordination between individual bid packages/contracts - offset
by reductions in General Contractor fees.
District requested scope increases (additional building area, etc.) - offset as much as
possible by General Contractor/Architect value engineering, subject to District
approval.
14. Negotiations of Change Order Costs. Negotiate Change Orders on behalf of the
District when appropriate.
15. Change Order Reports. Prepare and distribute change Order reports when requested
by the District and at least monthly throughout the construction phase.

16. Contractor Claims. Resolve all claims by contractors against the District for additional
cost or time due to any alleged cause.
17. Project Status Reports. Prepare and distribute a weekly, biweekly, and monthly
cumulative Project Status report, which will include cost status reports.
18. Administration of the Project. The General Contractor is responsible for complying with
their contractual obligations to the Client and meeting the Client expectations:
Providing full-time on-site management of the project at all times when a subcontractor
or vendor is performing work onsite.
Site Logistics, this includes preparing, providing and managing a Safety plan: vehicle
flagging & spotting oversight of deliveries, compliance with city noise ordinances /
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), StormWater Pollution Prevention Plan
(SWPPP), sanitary facilities/equipment cleaning and removal schedules.
Schedule, this includes Phasing if required.
Quality Control of all subcontractor work
Observing the materials and equipment being incorporated into the work to assure
that they are handled, stored, and installed properly and adequately and follow the
contract documents for the project. Report to the District regarding these activities.
Collaborate with the District's independent inspection and testing consultants.
Identifying problems encountered in accomplishing the work and ensuring
appropriate action to resolve these problems with a minimum effect on the timely
completion of the project. (General Contractor will be subject to $1,000 per day
Liquidated Damages)
Monitor, enforce, collect, and document certified payroll compliance for DIR and
provide reporting to the District on a monthly basis. Notify the District immediately of
any discrepancies.
Providing a computerized/cloud based system such as Procore to monitor and
provide timely reports on projects. This system will have at minimum the following
attributes: documents, drawings, locations, meeting agendas and minutes, models,
photos, observations, RFI management, specifications, and submittals.
19. Training Sessions. Coordinate and schedule training sessions for the District's
maintenance and operational personnel and assure that the contractor's obligations in
providing this training are fulfilled.
20. Substantial Completion. In conjunction with the Architect, decide remaining work
necessary for substantial completion, and notify the contractor of any deficiencies. In the
event of remaining incomplete items, the General Contractor will, upon District's
concurrence, issue a certificate of substantial completion with the exceptions noted,
and/or contract with others to complete the work on behalf of the District.
21. Owner's Manuals. Receive all written material such as operations and maintenance
manuals, warranties and guarantees for all equipment installed in the project. All
equipment instruction material shall be reviewed and delivered to appropriate District
personnel.
22. As-Built Documents. Coordinate and expedite functions in connection with the
contractor's obligation to provide "as-built" documents. Ensure that all as-builts are to be
updated weekly and incorporated on original Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings in
CAD format.