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Poteau board approves multi‑year capital improvement plan, prioritizes gym HVACs and accelerated land-note payoff
Summary
The Poteau Public Schools Board approved a multi‑year capital improvement plan that prioritizes installing HVAC systems in district gyms and accelerating payoff of a recently purchased $1.5 million parcel, with the board agreeing to higher near‑term building fund spending to reduce long‑term interest costs.
The Poteau Public Schools Board of Education on an evening vote approved a multi‑year capital improvement plan that schedules gym HVAC installations across the district and accelerates repayment of a recently purchased $1.5 million tract of land.
Board President Renata Adams and district staff presented a prioritized list developed by a 12‑member capital improvement committee that includes representatives from each school site and the board president. Superintendent and staff said the plan is updated twice yearly after a facilities tour and a survey ranking needed projects.
The plan calls for roughly $1,500,000 in building‑fund expenditures in fiscal year 2026, staff said, and a four‑year program to add HVAC systems to every gym in the district. The administration told the board it planned to pay $600,000 toward the $1.5 million land note immediately and the remaining $395,000 in the spring to save about six months of interest. Staff said the district also plans to pay roughly $400,000 a year on a separate $2 million note to reduce principal faster and lower annual interest costs.
Board members discussed the committee’s facility tour approach and the color‑coded priority list used to schedule work from fiscal 2025 through 2029. Staff emphasized that items marked yellow on the plan have already been accomplished and that white items are lower priority and not scheduled this cycle. The presentation noted some carryover from previous years and said the board will revisit the plan at its spring meeting.
The board approved the capital improvement plan by roll call. No amendments to the plan were offered during the discussion.
The facilities director later reported progress on HVAC work at a campus described as “Pansy Kid,” saying the system can now deliver air into that building and the contractor had presented lower‑cost options for air distribution. The facilities report also noted two new route buses were on the lot awaiting CAN bus and DVR installation.
The board’s action moves a set of high‑priority infrastructure projects into the district’s funded plan and pairs those projects with an aggressive debt‑paydown strategy staff described as intended to reduce future interest payments.
