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Newman-Crows Landing Unified narrows facilities priorities to projects that can start with available funds
Summary
At a special facilities workshop district staff reviewed the facility master plan and bond funding, and trustees indicated they prefer starting smaller projects already fundable (LED lighting, field work, Bonita repairs) while keeping an eight-classroom Von Renner project as the top long-term priority pending bond timing.
At a special Newman-Crows Landing Unified School District board facilities workshop, district staff reviewed the district's facility master plan and asked trustees to rank projects to match local bond funding and remaining Measure X dollars.
The discussion centered on which projects to begin now with available local funds and which to hold until larger bond sales can be timed. District staff said the district has an updated facility master plan from 02/2023, a requirement for accessing state K–14 school facility bond funds authorized by Proposition 2 in November 2024. Local voters passed Measure X in 2020 (about $25 million), and passed Measures S and T in November 2024 (combined total $57 million), district staff said.
Why it matters: the board must balance a long list of modernization and new-construction needs against market timing for bond sales, state eligibility rules and limited cash on hand. At the workshop trustees and staff discussed costs, timelines, and trade-offs and used a post‑it ranking exercise to give staff direction on near‑term priorities.
District staff outlined available money and near‑term capacity. Of the Measure X authorization, staff reported about $5 million remains unissued; the district currently has roughly $287,000 in cash available for immediate projects without issuing new debt. Staff also said the district had issued bond anticipation notes that must be paid off in 2025 and that the district will discuss optimal timing for selling bonds with its financial advisor on March 10.
Projects discussed and projected costs included an eight‑classroom Von Renner replacement to remove existing portables and add permanent classrooms (staff estimated roughly $10,000,000 including demolition and asphalt replacement), a Bonita LED lighting upgrade estimated at about $71,000, stadium resodding (an older quote near $200,000) and a lighting and underground infrastructure project for three athletic fields (baseball, softball and varsity football) estimated at about $1,000,000. Staff also cited a full campus fire alarm replacement estimate of about $1,300,000 and noted all‑weather track projects commonly range from about $3,500,000 to $5,000,000 depending on scope.
Staff described the expected timelines and approval requirements. Small projects that do not trigger Department of State Architecture (DSA) review — for example certain shade structures and LED upgrades — can be planned and bid in a matter of months. Large construction that is eligible for Proposition 2 new‑construction funding requires state approvals; staff said projects such as Von Renner Phase 2 would need at least a year of state approval work before bidding and could not begin demolition until the summer at the earliest. The district reported the LED lighting upgrade would show immediate energy savings with an estimated payback of about six and a half years and product life of roughly 25 years.
Trustees used the provided ranking sheets and a facilitator to indicate priorities. Several trustees said they prefer beginning projects that can be started with money on hand or that can be staged quickly — namely the Bonita LED upgrade, repairs to existing sheds and roofing, and athletic field lighting and resodding — while keeping Von Renner Phase 2 and larger CTE/shop projects as the top long‑term priorities to start when bond proceeds and state approvals align.
Staff identified next steps: the district's financial advisor will present bond‑sale timing and market considerations on March 10; staff will prepare specifications to bid the stadium resodding and other small projects; the LED program is planned to start in April with work in June or July where possible; and large projects will proceed through state eligibility and DSA review before construction. Workshop participants emphasized these were planning directions and not formal board approvals or motions.
The board adjourned after the prioritization exercise and staff said it will return with refined project budgets, timelines and a plan to sequence bond issuances and construction.
