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Board approves capital outlay projects; members debate larger high school renovation plan and LTFM bond
Summary
The Worthington Public School District board approved capital outlay requests covering band uniforms, gym floor work and other facility needs and spent substantial time discussing a potential long-term facility maintenance (LTFM) bond for high school renovations without voting on a bond.
The Worthington Public School District Board voted to approve capital outlay requests at its February regular meeting after the operations committee reviewed requests from administrators.
District staff reported initial administrator requests of $802,852.33 for capital projects, with specific items discussed including new band uniforms ($103,000 plus $3,050), high school gymnasium sanding and resurfacing ($26,000), auxiliary gym sanding and refinishing ($17,500) and repair of a middle-school gym floor area damaged by water ($31,000). Staff said floor work could be paid from long-term facility maintenance (LTFM) funds and that approving the three additional items examined by the committee would bring the total to about $980,004.
A motion to approve the capital outlay request was made by board member Matt and seconded by Anne; the motion passed. The transcript does not record a full roll-call tally.
Board members asked for more information before finalizing some items. One member requested the auxiliary gym’s usage schedule before approving refinishing work; a staff member said the auxiliary gym is used daily for practices and events but that a formal schedule was not available in the packet. Another board member urged proceeding now to avoid repeating deferred maintenance problems experienced with the middle school gym.
The board also discussed High School LTFM bonding as a separate agenda item. Staff provided an estimate from a financial advisor showing potential borrowing terms and projected taxpayer impacts. Staff described a renovation package that could include elevator work, new metal panels and windows, tuckpointing, upgraded classroom finishes and roofing, with a construction estimate of about $4.4 million and a total with soft costs and contingency of about $5.8 million.
Board members debated timing, costs and priorities. Several members said they want to include incoming Superintendent Heitkamp in decisions and to gather additional contractor estimates before committing major LTFM funds. A staff member said the elevator in the north wing “has to get done this summer” to keep the second floor accessible; the elevator item was described as part of the capital outlay approvals voted earlier.
Staff reported LTFM reserves and capital balances to frame the discussion: roughly $1.6 million in LTFM reserves and annual LTFM receipts of about $1.4 million, with capital reserves of about $875,000 and some prior capital spending (for example, a Prairie Elementary roof project). Board members agreed to rank and prioritize a list of LTFM-eligible projects, request additional estimates and convene a special meeting or work session to decide next steps.
