Board approves districtwide parking-lot maintenance contracts; Lakeland Middle exception deferred

The Lakeland District Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve contracts to sealcoat, stripe and repair asphalt on district parking lots, expanding the planned work to all schools except the front area of Lakeland Middle School, which will be addressed next summer.

The work is funded from the plant facilities fund. “We had in a budget item that was approved by the board last year for a $150,000 to do some asphalt repairs, seal coating, striping…parking lot maintenance,” the facilities director told trustees, and said the bids returned allow the district to sealcoat, stripe and perform major asphalt repairs across the sites within the approved budget.

Board members asked about particularly deteriorated lots; the facilities director said the contract includes crack sealing and targeted asphalt repairs to prolong pavement life but described those measures as extensions rather than full reconstructions. The director said crack sealing and seal coating will “prolong the life of that asphalt for another couple years” and give staff time to prioritize full replacements.

The board approved the contracts and the expanded scope after a motion, with a second and an affirmative voice vote. Trustees instructed staff to proceed with contracting and to bring Lakeland Middle School’s front-area work back for the next construction season.

Next steps: staff will execute the awarded contracts and schedule the sealcoating, crack-sealing and striping work, and the district will prioritize full reconstruction projects for lots in worst condition over subsequent budget cycles.