McAllen ISD, Bond Program, Project Management, $335 Million Bond, RGV Construction, School Construction
Staff Report
McAllen TX - The McAllen Independent School District Board of Trustees convened a special work session Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, to interview eight firms competing to manage the district’s $335 million bond program. After hours of presentations and board questioning, trustees ranked Brownstone Consultants, a McAllen-based company, first and voted 7-0 to authorize the superintendent to negotiate a contract with them.
The Bond Program
The $335 million bond program is organized around five investment areas: approximately $118 million for modernization and alignment; $103 million for capital improvements including HVAC replacements at nine campuses; $40 million for wellness, safety, and security; $39 million for district equity and growth; and $35 million for fine arts and multipurpose facilities. Projects span 16 campuses and include CTE expansions at the high schools, cafeteria modernizations, gymnasium construction, districtwide roofing, paving, and LED upgrades.
Scoring and Rankings
Firms were evaluated on a 1,000-point scale. The board allocated 150 points for the interview portion, with the remaining 850 points scored by district administration in advance.
Final combined rankings were: 1. Brownstone Consultants, 930 points; 2. B to Z Engineering, 898; 3. Project Control of Texas, 878; 4. Presidio LLC, 867; 5. Coming Management Group Inc., 821; 6. Project Management Services Inc., 777; 7. SDI Engineering LLC, 675; 8. RGV Renovations LLC, 661.
The Firms
B to Z Engineering presented as a team of four Rio Grande Valley-based firms: B to Z as the local program lead, alongside Bruss, Kitchell, and Desado Public Relations. B to Z described itself as the largest engineering and construction management firm in South Texas, employing more than 160 people statewide with 95 in the McAllen area. The team highlighted management of Edinburg CISD’s $112 million bond program, completed on time and under budget. During questioning, a board member pressed the team on accountability within the partnership. “Who’s going to have the final say and who’s ultimately going to be accountable to the district in the event of a problem?” B to Z responded that it was the prime lead and that each firm had a defined lane with minimal overlap in roles and responsibilities.
Brownstone Consultants, founded in 2019 and headquartered in McAllen, partnered with AGCM for the proposal. The team included architect Gilbert Gayos, a 38-year registered architect who led bond programs at South Texas College, Texas Southmost College, UT Brownsville, Edinburg CISD, and Houston ISD, citing more than $70 million in savings generated on regional programs. Brownstone proposed a prototype-based design strategy to standardize improvements across campuses. When asked how savings are calculated, the team said every dollar under budget — through procurement strategy, negotiated change orders, or returned contingency — is documented in a running savings log reviewed with district staff and the board. “We’re going to try to give you the biggest bang for your buck,” a team member said.
Coming Management Group Inc. presented as an international firm of approximately 3,000 employees ranked 12th globally among project management firms by Engineering News-Record. Vice President Oscar Schiavone noted he had worked on McAllen ISD’s 2006 bond program as a project manager. The team proposed using Procore as its program management system at no additional cost. Trustees questioned whether the firm’s key personnel would be working other projects simultaneously. “Will they be working on any other projects during the period of our project?” a board member asked. The firm acknowledged one team leader would carry responsibilities across programs but said local staff would be on site daily.
Presidio LLC, founded in 2017 and K-12 focused, cited approximately $8.5 billion in Texas program management experience and a 100% repeat-client rate. Executive Vice President Brian Dodson, a former school board member, told the board the firm’s approach centers on partnership. “We don’t come in and say this is how you need to do something,” Dodson said. “We say, tell me some of the best recommendations and let’s partner in this together.” Trustees asked how the firm, not based in the Rio Grande Valley, would tailor its execution to McAllen’s needs. Presidio committed to permanent staff on site.
Project Control of Texas, in business since 1977 with a McAllen office since 1991, said it had completed $250 million in capital projects in the Rio Grande Valley since 2019. Principal Frank Aguillon called the bond program “a generational investment” that would affect “many families and members of the community for many years to come.” Trustees asked whether its two key personnel assigned to McAllen ISD would also be working other active projects. The firm confirmed both would have some allocation to other work.
Project Management Services Inc. (PMSI) presented as a firm with more than 20 years of owner-representation experience, a 90% client return rate, and more than $3 billion in bond project management work. PMSI proposed serving as the sole prime contractor, offering McAllen ISD one accountable team across all program phases from planning through warranty.
RGV Renovations LLC was represented by owner Josh Zurbaran, who outlined his 24-year construction career including work on PSJA schools in the Rio Grande Valley. Survan described his firm as locally rooted and familiar with active-campus construction in South Texas.
SDI Engineering LLC was represented by principal and owner Isael Posadas, who described 16 years as on-call engineer for Edinburg CISD and service on the Edinburg EDC board and bond oversight committee.
Board Action
Following presentations and a brief recess for score tabulation, district administration presented the combined rankings. Trustee Robert Carreon moved to rank the eight firms and authorize the superintendent to negotiate a contract with the highest-ranked firm, Brownstone Consultants. If negotiations fail, staff is directed to proceed to the next highest-ranked firm until a contract is reached. The motion was seconded by Trustee Erica de la Garza-Lopez and passed 7-0.