Facilities director outlines $2.1M capital plan; tech director details device refresh and infrastructure cycle

Facilities director Kyle Marl told the USD 453 board that the district’s capital-outlay priority list for 2025–26 totals roughly $2.1 million for site projects and systems, with an additional $500,000 proposed to cover maintenance-specific salaries, for a working total of about $2.6 million for the year.

Marl described the capital fund as the source for equipment replacement, construction and site improvements and contrasted it with the general fund, which supports recurring expenses and repairs. “The capital fund is used for things like replacing of systems or equipment, purchasing new equipment, construction, or improving of the sites … General fund is used for things like repairs and upkeep,” Marl said. He identified priority items such as rooftop unit (RTU) replacements, roofing, concrete and asphalt work, UPS (power protection) replacement, security upgrades, an intermediate-school parking lot expansion and a high-school culinary classroom renovation. Marl said many projects have been deferred for multiple years and estimated deferred work on the list at just over $2,000,000.

Marl outlined a multiyear equipment replacement challenge: many mechanical units date from the 2008–2010 maintenance bond and are now 15 years or older. He said the district’s contractor estimates useful life “between 15 to 20” years and that the district is already experiencing failures. Marl presented an estimate of roughly $5.5 million for rooftop units, chillers, air handlers and boilers over the next five to eight years, and about $7 million in roof replacements across the district over a 10-year planning horizon. He said the district plans to replace units incrementally (6–8 RTUs at a time) rather than all at once to manage costs and supply lead times.

Marl also listed other capital-funded activities the district supports, including Pioneer Stadium maintenance (track resurfacing and turf replacement) and a proposed scoreboard replacement; he noted an upcoming $26,000 stage-curtain replacement in the high-school auditorium.

On technology, district technology director Ryan summarized the district’s refresh cycles: Chromebooks and iPads on rolling schedules and core infrastructure replaced on five-year cycles. “Chromebooks, iPads. Our core infrastructure is every 5 years. We’ve been doing that for the last 15 years,” Ryan said. He described a common procurement pattern: refresh device cohorts (for example, fourth, fifth, and ninth grades) so devices rotate through grades, and noted the district has used five-year leases and may pursue E-rate funding for networking. Ryan said licensing is a general-fund expense and provided an estimated approach to three-year licensing blocks.

Board members asked about priorities, deferred projects, vehicle replacement and athletics equipment. Marl said some items were intentionally deferred given current budgets and that contractors and staff will continue to prioritize urgent system replacements. He stressed logistics concerns: large rooftop units can take weeks to manufacture and ship, so preemptive replacement is necessary to avoid failures during extreme weather.

Marl presented rough dollar estimates and a planning timeline and asked trustees to consider the multiyear cost implications; he said catching up after long deferral cycles will be difficult. The board did not take formal action on the capital plan at the meeting; administration will use the adopted budget and the board’s direction to sequence procurement and projects.