The Lakeland School District board heard an extensive facilities report and approved a motion to reallocate plant‑facility levy and emergency repair funds to cover urgent building needs and previously planned projects.

Facilities Director Tim Hague said Avista Energy is conducting a district‑wide retrofit that replaces older fixtures with LED fixtures—and Avista will pay for the upgrades, including installation, across most district schools. Hague said the program includes stadium lights at the high schools and middle school work; exceptions are schools on a different utility (Kootenai Electric). Hague said the district expects average energy savings of about 20% after conversion and that several schools’ stadium fixtures have already been replaced.

Hague and district staff described other capital matters: they are pursuing more local options for snow removal, looking at long‑term roof‑replacement planning after Tremco performed roof scans, and continuing legal and payment work tied to the Emrick construction contract and bond claims. Architect West has billed for time spent supporting bond claims; Zurich (the bond carrier) has engaged third‑party adjusters to process numerous subcontractor claims, staff said.

The board debated several budget transfers. An initial motion to move specified amounts from an unused siding change order and other lines into boiler, fence, custodial equipment and fleet vehicle purchases failed on a first vote. After further discussion, trustees approved a motion that restored $220,000 to the carpet continuation line (Apple, Garwood, Lakeland High School and Spirit Lake) and $40,000 for VCT tile at Garwood/Betty Keefer and directed staff to use building and emergency repair funds to complete prioritized projects, including:

- A $65,000 boiler replacement for Twin Lakes Elementary (manager said the installed system used residential‑style components and repeated failures had made replacement the best long‑term option).
- Up to $50,000 for Lakeland High School and Lakeland Middle School fencing repairs to meet a 6‑foot standard; staff reported the roadside fence at the middle school is about 4.5 feet tall and had been miscounted during previous program qualification.
- Purchase of custodial equipment (extractors) and a used or refurbished 1‑ton flatbed vehicle with a hopper/sprayer to allow in‑house snow/ice work.

Board members asked that the district ensure IRS/municipal bond rules are observed for any work paid from the district’s $18 million in school modernization/bond proceeds; staff said they are cross‑checking useful‑life standards with bond counsel.

Separately, trustees approved a cooperative purchase for new manual bleachers at Lakeland Middle School (VibeTech Specialties, $98,007.58) and authorized staff to proceed with vendor contracting; the board also approved purchases for buses and activity buses (see transportation article). The board scheduled a facilities workshop to prioritize summer 2025 projects and asked staff to bring bids and project lists in advance.

Hague said a resident vehicle had damaged a fence at the high school in a snow incident; the district filed an insurance claim and planned repairs. He also briefed trustees on an agreement with Tremco to scan roofs and provide a long‑range replacement schedule; Tremco completed roof inspections and repaired a handful of small roof defects during the visit at no cost.

Trustees approved the rebudget motion by recorded voice vote at the meeting; staff will return with contract documents and timeline for the approved projects and provide detail on funding flows between plant‑facility levy lines, emergency repair lines and bond proceeds.