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Consultant presents timeline for long-range plan; board debates two-high-school options and voter prospects
Summary
DLR Group presented a timeline for possible capital work and a potential bond vote in 2026 or 2027. Board members debated whether to concentrate renovations at Lafayette and Central or consider Benton/Central, raised feasibility questions (parking, capacity, costs) and requested a feasibility-style comparison of options.
A consultant team from the DLR Group and construction partner Nabholz outlined a timeline for the district’s long-range facilities plan and possible bond activity in 2026–27, prompting extended discussion among board members about which high-school pairings would be most feasible and politically viable.
Kevin Grescher of the DLR Group presented a phased schedule showing community engagement and a board decision point in late 2025 or December if the district wanted to put a bond question on an April 2026 ballot. The schedule shows design work running through 2026 into 2027 and construction beginning in mid- to late-2027 if the board pursues a 2026 ballot.
Board members and administrators discussed two broad approaches: renovate two existing schools (the timeline reference included options sized roughly at 1,700 students and 1,100 students) or pursue a different combination of facilities to reach a two–high-school system. Questions from board members focused on parking and site constraints at Lafayette, the amount of renovation work needed at each campus, the likely cost impact, and how short-term choices would affect long-term plans for a new high school.
Several board members said past bond results — the district’s recent bond failed to reach a winning margin — make voter outreach and feasibility analysis critical before returning to a ballot. During the discussion the board asked staff and consultants to develop a written feasibility comparison that would: (1) summarize the work required for a Lafayette/Central scenario and a Benton/Central scenario; (2) identify major site issues such as parking and utilities; (3) estimate order-of-magnitude costs for minimal and more extensive renovation scopes; and (4) show how each short-term option would affect a longer-term plan for a new high school.
The consultant said those feasibility items are the typical next step and offered to provide the district’s earlier master-plan materials and updated sketches to inform the board’s decision. Board members asked administration to return with the feasibility comparisons and an administrative recommendation at an upcoming meeting or work session so the board can evaluate options before making a direction to the community.
