Prior to commencing with project design the district shall employ or contract personnel to perform professional construction management. Construction management shall be required for all projects greater than fifty thousand square feet and is optional for projects fifty thousand square feet or less. For the purpose of this section construction management is defined as the process of professional management applied to a construction program for the purpose of controlling time, cost, and quality.

The construction manager shall have appropriate and demonstrable experience in the management of construction projects including procurement, contract administration, scheduling, budgets, quality assurance, information management, and health and safety.

The amount of state funding assistance for which a district shall be eligible for construction management shall be the state funding assistance percentage multiplied by two and one-half percent of the construction cost allocation multiplied by the square foot area for the fiscal year funded.