Sales tax oversight committee hears $65 million Bellevue rebuild plan; design work under way for three safety projects

The school district’s sales tax oversight committee heard an update on June project planning and spending after voters approved a 10-year sales tax measure in November 2024.

The presentation, led by Angela Usher, head of operations for the school district, summarized revenue projections, the committee’s responsibilities under the sales tax resolution and bylaws, and the status of three projects that have been funded to date: safety and security work at East Marion Elementary, permanent walls and doors at Osceola Middle School Building 2, and early design work for a full rebuild of Bellevue Elementary.

The committee’s role, Usher said, is to review expenditures and revenues and to provide an annual written report to the superintendent and school board, and to notify the board if the district is not using the revenue “in the way that it should be used.” Usher said, “The voters approved the sales tax in November 2024 for 10 years. It started in January 2025.”

Why it matters: The tax is projected to generate roughly $35 million to $40 million a year, producing roughly $350 million to $400 million over its 10-year life if current projections hold. The committee will monitor how the district allocates that revenue among new construction, safety and security improvements, technology upgrades and allowable financing costs under the resolution.

Project status and budgets

Ms. Bumbach, the district’s director of facilities, reviewed the three projects that currently have funds assigned. At East Marion Elementary the district plans to install permanent interior walls and secure doors to create a single-point entry and controlled visitor access. “We will have a single point entry, a secured area, and from there, visitors only can get buzzed in,” Bumbach said, describing the safety-focused work and the challenges of phasing construction while school is in session.

At Osceola Middle School Building 2 — the campus media center and library — the scope calls for permanent walls and doors and an evaluation of life-safety systems. The district has set aside $2 million for that work but told the committee the existing HVAC system is old; Bumbach said the district may need to add HVAC work to the project and shift funds accordingly.

For Bellevue Elementary the district is planning to demolish the existing buildings and construct a new combined campus that would take students from Bellevue and the adjacent centros site. The district intends to use the old Lakeview Middle School as a “swing” campus while Bellevue is rebuilt. Bumbach said the board has set aside $65 million for the Bellevue project; she said roughly $2 million is secured now for design work and the district will continue to accumulate sales tax revenue to cover the remainder.

Schedule and procurement

The presenters described a multi-step schedule that includes design, procurement and construction manager selection. The district expects to begin design work in mid- to late 2025, seek board approval for a construction manager in late 2025, have a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) or procurement ready by late 2026, and start major construction in 2027 with completion targeted for 2028. Officials discussed phasing and the logistics of moving students to a swing campus; they also noted that demolition of older buildings requires filing a custody report with the Department of Education, a process the district described as potentially slow.

Budget details and current allocations

Usher told the committee the district has received about $17,000,003.69 in sales tax revenue so far and listed how that money has been allocated: $4,000,000 to Ross (one of the new schools), $4.9 million to Winding Oaks, $4,000,000 to East Marion, $2,000,000 to Osceola Building 2, and $2.1 million to preliminary work for Bellevue. The Bellevue rebuild remains a long-term project that will require additional funding to reach the $65 million estimated current cost.

Questions and follow-ups

Committee members pressed staff for more detail on a few points. One member asked how the district will calculate prorated shares for charter schools; Usher said that is a finance question and requested that finance staff attend the committee’s next meeting to explain the formula and tracking. Another member asked how much tax savings the district recovers through owner direct purchasing; staff said they are tracking those savings and will provide numbers at the next meeting.

On maintenance vs. capital, staff said the sales tax resolution requires that funded items generally have at least a five-year useful life; the district interprets that to mean major maintenance funded with sales tax should meet a five-year minimum life expectation.

Actions and procedure

The committee did not approve new funding or take final votes on the capital items covered in the presentation. Earlier in the meeting a motion to approve minutes was withdrawn so staff could amend the minutes to include Q&A from the previous meeting. The committee scheduled its next regular meeting for Sept. 24 and asked staff to return that day with finance and procurement details.

The meeting adjourned by motion; members voted in favor with no recorded opposition.

Looking ahead: Staff will return to the committee in September with a draft prioritization of recommended projects, the finance department’s explanation of charter school allocations and a report on owner direct-purchase savings.