Every five years, Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) commissions a study to analyze whether there are disparities in the use of small, minority and women-owned business enterprises (SMWBEs) in District contracts and in the local marketplace. Following School Board approval on November 14, 2022, the District contracted Keen Independent Research to conduct the 2023 Disparity Study, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The 2023 Disparity Study will provide data about marketplace conditions, any potential disparities in the District’s contracting practices, and insights from business owners and other groups. The results will help BCPS assess its current equity efforts and identify possible new ways to encourage the participation of diverse businesses in its contracts.

Keen Independent Research is a national economic consulting firm, whose team members have performed more than 200 similar disparity studies, including for Atlanta Public Schools in Georgia and Clark County School District in Nevada.

The study includes a phone survey of area businesses to identify companies that can work on specific types of contracts and subcontracts available with BCPS, as well as in-depth interviews with area businesses and trade associations. Keen Independent Research will then compare the utilization and availability of SMWBEs for contracts with the District.

Business owners and other interested individuals are encouraged to participate. For more information on the study, call 305-204-6952 or visit keenindependent.com/browardschoolsdisparity2023.

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 ABOUT BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
“Educating all students to reach their highest potential.”
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second largest in the state of Florida. BCPS is Florida’s first fully accredited school system since 1962, serving more than 254,000 students and approximately 110,000 adult learners in 240 schools, centers and technical colleges, and 90 charter schools. BCPS supports a diverse student population representing 170 different countries and speaking 147 languages. To connect with BCPS, visit browardschools.com, follow us on Twitter @browardschools, on Facebook at facebook.com/browardschools, on Instagram @browardschoolsofficial, on YouTube at youtube.com/browardschoolsvideos and download the free BCPS mobile app at browardschools.com/MobileApp.