Rockland School Committee approves $1.95 million FY26 capital request for facilities, Chromebooks and HVAC

The Rockland School Committee on Monday approved a preliminary FY26 capital request totaling $1,950,000 and agreed to present the package for appropriation at the town's spring (April) town meeting using free cash.

School staff described the list as a mix of one-time capital items and replacements aimed at addressing aging systems. Key items in the request include funding for roughly 400 Chromebooks and related IT needs; an electrical upgrade at the Esten School (listed as a placeholder at $800,000); rooftop HVAC unit replacements at the middle and high schools; replacement or purchase of vans (recurring vehicle lease costs were said to drop after the district purchased two vehicles); replacement/maintenance of building lighting; continued camera and security system work; and a new HVAC management and fault-detection software/controller system.

Presenters said the van lease expense decreased by about $45,000 because the district purchased two vehicles (one used, one new), and that some FY25 appropriations remain unspent, including about $500,000 previously earmarked for the Esten School. Staff described the Esten electrical item as a ‘‘placeholder’’ while they refine scope after recent IAQ/filtration work done under a federal/state grant. The presentation noted the Esten School was built in 1968 and contains original systems that limit other upgrades until electrical capacity is addressed.

Officials told the committee the district has roughly 13 rooftop HVAC units approaching end of life; the presenter gave an average replacement cost figure of about $225,000 per unit and proposed funding for two higher-cost units (one for the middle school and one for the high school) to mitigate the risk of losing heat during an event. The packet also listed costs for network protection and endpoint security software under review; staff said they are evaluating whether to move from their current SentinelOne system to an alternative and were seeking additional vendor feedback before deciding.

Committee members were told the total FY26 capital ask is $1,950,000 and that the capital planning committee would review the detailed requests. The presenter said Dr. Kron and the presenter would meet with the capital planning committee and typically bring Tim Wells and Mark Schaum to those discussions to answer technical questions. After a motion and second (movers not specified in the record), the committee voted in favor of approving the FY26 capital request as presented.

The committee was explicit that this action was to submit a preliminary list for the town meeting appropriation process; final appropriation depends on the Spring Town Meeting vote and the available free cash balance. The presenter and Dr. Kron said some items are likely to be refined, deferred, or reprioritized depending on free cash availability and further technical review.

Funding and next steps: presenters and committee members said the requests are intended to be funded from free cash and will be considered at the April town meeting. Staff will continue technical review (for example, on the network/endpoint protection question and Esten electrical scope) and present detailed line items to the capital planning committee prior to the town meeting.

Votes at the meeting recorded the committee’s approval of the FY26 capital request; the transcript does not record individual vote tallies or the names of the motion maker and seconder.