District operations director reports building needs, $9 million roof on Arlington High planned in 2024 capital levy

Brian Lewis, executive director of operations for the Arlington School District, presented the board with the district’s annual Asset Preservation Program (APP) report, which updates condition scores and identifies building maintenance needs tied to eligibility for state matching funds.

"The asset preservation program is a program of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction that applies to all school districts who receive state matching funds," Lewis said, and he told the board participation is required for future state matching eligibility.

Lewis summarized condition scores and noted specific deficiencies the district plans to address. The largest project he identified is a roof replacement at Arlington High School that the district estimates at about $9,000,000; that work is programmed into the district’s 2024 capital levy. Lewis said the district is still finalizing closeout work from a recent addition to the high school and that documentation remains outstanding with the contractor.

Other buildings and problems Lewis highlighted included gym-floor moisture and swelling between the main and auxiliary gyms at Arlington High School; downspout and gutter capacity problems that cause overflow at the front of the building; repainting and public-address upgrades for industrial-arts facilities; and interior wall- and floor-covering replacements at Camp Prairie Elementary. Lewis said President’s Elementary will receive an envelope improvement project this summer intended to correct several exterior and window issues; he cited President’s Elementary’s current APP score of 77.74 versus the applicable OSPI standard of 77.

Lewis told the board that some projects on the APP list are already included in the district capital levy programs (roof work, gym floor replacement, data-cabling and clock-system replacements, and other systems upgrades). He also said some items will be addressed by the district’s maintenance crew as funding and parts allow, citing metering-valve replacements on restroom sinks as routine maintenance work that requires material purchase.

Board members asked clarifying questions about whether donor-funded projects fall under APP requirements. Lewis said donor-funded athletic improvements such as a batting cage at Providence High School are not covered by the APP, which applies only to buildings and projects funded through state matching programs. He told the board the donor-funded batting cage was nearly complete and funded by the Mount Vernon Baseball Foundation (as described in the presentation).

The report concluded with Lewis saying the district meets OSPI’s standards for the buildings that have received state funds to date, and that the annual APP reports are used by OSPI to evaluate eligibility for future state matching funds.

Questions from board members focused on sequencing, funding sources (capital levy vs. maintenance), and timing for the envelope work at President’s Elementary; Lewis referred to projects already programmed in the levy and to further planning needed for larger replacement efforts.

The board did not take formal action on the report itself; it was presented as the district’s annual informational update.