District outlines permanent-improvement projects; chiller replacements and parking work flagged as near-term costs
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Summary
Business manager Jeff Eckley presented a districtwide list of planned permanent-improvement projects including parking-lot resurfacing, safety film, stadium work and aging chillers; board discussed funding limits of the PI fund (~$900,000/year) and multi-year timing.
Jeff Eckley, the district’s manager of business, told the board the facilities and safety committees developed a multi-year list of permanent‑improvement projects the district plans to stage over several years to avoid exhausting the permanent‑improvement (PI) fund.
Eckley described projects already scheduled or starting this summer: a new maintenance truck and plow, a pedestrian walkway connecting the front and south lots and to the bike path, exterior paint and siding replacements, safety film on windows in “sensitive areas,” stadium updates, and resurfacing the lot in front of the St. Pierre Education Center to ease drop‑off traffic.
“Some of the other things coming out of our safety committee was the installation of safety film in our sensitive areas throughout the district. Make windows shatterproof so that if, say, a bad actor was trying to enter, this would slow them down and allow our students and staff to get to safe place,” Eckley said.
Eckley also noted larger mechanical replacements on the horizon: chillers at several buildings date to 2006 and may require replacement, and the high school has two older units; one chiller has been out of service for a year and bids are in progress. The district’s oldest administrative‑side HVAC unit was described as “30 plus years” old.
Board members and staff acknowledged the PI fund’s limits. Eckley said the district receives about $900,000 per year into the PI fund and cautioned that a single large expense — for example a $400,000–$500,000 chiller — can absorb much of annual funds. He described plans to time projects over a seven‑year horizon and to prioritize safety and traffic flow issues.
Eckley also summarized other improvements: upgrades to auditorium doors, a planned wrought‑iron fence and signage at the high school, playground work contingent on grants, and a resurfacing plan for other lots. He thanked facilities committee members and described coordination with principals and operations staff to sequence work.
The board asked clarifying questions about funding sources and whether projects would come from the general fund or the PI fund; Eckley and the superintendent said planned projects are expected to come from PI funds but would be timed to avoid exhausting yearly allocations. No formal vote was taken; the presentation was informational and intended to inform coming budget decisions.
