Nelson County planning committee approves draft facility plan to send to KDE for review

The Local Planning Committee for Nelson County Schools voted to approve a draft District Facility Plan (DFP) for submission to the Kentucky Department of Education for review after discussing revenue, pricing assumptions and project priorities.

Committee members and staff centered the discussion on how facility construction is funded and what the district can afford over the coming decades. A staff member briefed the committee on revenue sources, explaining that facility funding is generated from property assessments and the school tax rate. The briefing noted the district’s current school tax rate of 67.3 cents and said the “bottom three nickels” (15 cents) are effectively dedicated to facility funding; the staff member said that amount yields about $7.4 million for facility construction in the current fiscal year.

The committee heard from Stephen Ward, who explained how KDE establishes construction pricing for the DFP. “If one of your elementary schools got destroyed, what would it cost to replace it exactly? And it would be $355 a square foot according to KDE,” Ward said, noting KDE’s 2025 property insurance replacement guidelines provide the standardized figures the department asks districts to use. Ward also told the committee that actual construction bids in the current market commonly run 10%–20% higher than KDE’s replacement numbers.

Why it matters: the draft DFP defines the district’s formal facility need that KDE will compare against other districts and that state legislators consider when allocating funding. The plan’s priorities and cost estimates govern which projects can move forward, which can be bonded, and how discretionary projects (canopies, playgrounds, athletic fields) might be paired with larger renovations.

Key details from the draft and committee discussion

- Revenue and bonding: The presentation showed historical growth in property values has raised the district’s annual facility funding from roughly $2.5 million in earlier years to about $7.4 million in the current fiscal year. The district’s financial model, cited from the district’s financial advisor (RSA), estimated potential bonding capacity in a future biennium in the range of $90 million to $120 million under assumptions of 3.5% to 6% property-value growth.

- KDE pricing guidance: KDE’s 2025 replacement guidance (used for parity across districts) sets a $355/sq ft figure for elementary replacement; districts typically prorate that for renovations. Ward told the committee that standardizing pricing helps KDE compare needs statewide but that local bid results often exceed those figures.

- Project priorities and scope: The draft carries forward previously discussed priorities, including partial demolition and renovation at Nelson County High School, capacity and renovation items for Thomas Nelson, CTE-related renovations at Bloomfield Middle (including allocations for diesel and heavy equipment shop space), and renovation items at Old Kentucky Home and New Haven tied to prior projects. The plan also lists discretionary items such as roofing at Foster Heights, an entrance canopy/walkway at New Haven, playground replacements, and athletic-field relocations or improvements.

- Space planning and capacity: Using projected enrollments and KDE guidance (targeting roughly 80% utilization), the draft lists planned capacities for major high schools (Nelson County planned capacity ~1,606; Thomas Nelson planned capacity ~1,422) and uses KDE’s model program to set classroom/resource allocations.

- Process and next steps: Committee members were told KDE will review the submitted draft and return markup and comments. Gary Least, the KDE project manager assigned to Nelson County, was identified as the reviewer who typically provides detailed red marks that the LPC’s architect and staff then address. The committee approved the draft for submission and discussed scheduling a public forum (proposed for May 14 at Thomas Nelson High School) pending KDE’s turnaround and required public-notice timing.

Discussion versus decisions

- Discussion: Committee members and staff debated funding assumptions, KDE pricing differences from local bid results, discretionary project priorities, and flexibility to pair smaller items with larger renovations. Staff and architects clarified that discretionary projects listed on the DFP can be pursued along with larger renovation projects or, in some cases, separately using local funds.

- Direction: The LPC directed staff to submit the approved draft DFP to KDE for review and to proceed with scheduling a public forum if KDE returns the draft in time for the May meeting cycle.

- Formal action: The committee voted to approve the draft DFP for KDE review by voice vote. The committee also approved scheduling a public forum at Thomas Nelson High School (pending KDE feedback and public-notice requirements).

What to watch next: KDE’s written review and markups (expected within a few weeks) will determine required edits and whether the LPC needs to reconvene to accept KDE’s changes or to revise the draft. The public forum, if scheduled, will be the next opportunity for community comment before the LPC finalizes a plan for board action and legislative consideration.