Committee adds $150,000 to deferred maintenance, forwards $6.6M FY26 CIP request to full board

The Manchester School District Committee on Finance and Facilities voted Jan. 8 to forward the FY26 capital improvement project planning funds to the full School Committee after amending the request to increase the deferred maintenance line by $150,000.

Staff presented the CIP summary and explained the FY26 request totaled $6,450,000 before amendment. The agenda materials list the top items and proposed amounts: deferred maintenance $3,300,000; parks and recreation $400,000; school parking lots $1,000,000; playground replacement $300,000; purchase of six buses (10-year replacement cycle) $700,000; fleet expansion $500,000; and IT infrastructure $250,000. Staff also provided an estimate that the requested CIP would increase annual debt-service costs by roughly $753,500.

During discussion, a committee member urged that the deferred-maintenance allocation be increased over time to keep pace with inflation and avoid eroding purchasing power. A motion on the floor amended the FY26 total by adding $150,000 to the deferred-maintenance line, bringing the FY26 planning total to $6,600,000. The committee approved the amended motion by voice vote.

The committee emphasized this was the first step in the CIP process; the request will be considered by the full School Committee and used during budget hearings.

Staff noted transportation and deferred-maintenance needs are a continuing budget pressure, and members asked that the CIP and operating budgets reflect ongoing replacement cycles and inflationary pressures where possible.