Parsons Construction Technology Group and Jacobs Project Management Co. will oversee the DeKalb School System’s $466 million construction program for the next six weeks.

The engineering and construction firm and project management company got the nod Monday from the DeKalb School Board to provide “supplemental” construction management services to the district.

The companies take the reins from Patricia Pope, the school system’s chief operating officer, whose office is the subject of a criminal investigation by District Attorney Gwen Keyes Fleming.

Authorities have been tight-lipped about the inquiry, but on Oct. 14, Pope’s office was one of six places searched by DA and GBI investigators.

Warrants also were executed for Pope’s home and the business of her husband, architect Vincent Pope, who has designed a number of DeKalb school projects. The Lithonia home of C.D. Moody Jr., a friend of the Popes and a longtime school contractor, also was searched.

Moody said he has done nothing wrong and has been cooperating with the investigators over the past year.

Moody’s neighbors woke up on Oct. 14 to more than six police cars at his gate. Reached by a reporter, he said he had no idea why his home was searched.

“I don’t know why outside of the fact that we are good friends with Ms. Pope and have been working with the school system for 15 years,” he said. He declined further comment.

District Attorney’s Office spokesman Orzy Theus would only confirm that six warrants were executed on Oct. 14 and that all the locations searched were inside DeKalb County. He declined to say what categories of individuals were searched.

“Due to the fact that this is an open case, it is not subject to Open Records,” he said. “The judge also sealed the search warrants.”

Pope’s status remains unclear since she was reportedly relieved of her duties on Oct. 22. School officials have not officially confirmed her status and she continues to report to work, but not at the Sam Moss Service Center where she has overseen construction projects for the school district since 2005.

She is earning $198,760 a year under a contract that runs through June 2010.

The Parsons and Jacobs contracts approved by the School Board on Monday come in the wake of an ongoing criminal investigation of Pope. The DeKalb School Board voted to pay both firms $644,150 through Dec. 11.

Work orders submitted to the School Board Monday show Parsons and Jacobs personnel bringing in monthly compensation of up to $28,000.

In an Oct. 22 letter released Tuesday, School Superintendent Crawford Lewis gave Parsons “full responsibility” for the district’s Capital Improvement Program and asked the firm to provide “all pertinent services,” including weekly status reports, financial accounting and analysis, managing proper resources for all projects, and identifying critical issues for projects.

Parsons’ Barbara Colman, who is the new interim operations officer for construction, will report to Deputy Superintendent Ramona Tyson.

Atlanta Unfiltered contributed to this report.