Board workshop highlights capital priorities: stadium lighting, high school sealing, buses, band instruments and security cameras

Siloam Springs school leaders used the budget workshop to review capital needs and prioritize spending from the building fund and upcoming budgets.

Stadium lighting and athletic facilities: District staff told the board a full replacement of the stadium lighting system could cost roughly $400,000 based on recent vendor figures; staff reminded the board that a similar replacement three years earlier had been estimated at about $150,000. District facilities staff recommended phasing major exterior work and some lighting work over time if the board prefers to spread cost. Superintendent Terry and facilities staff noted a temporary direct-wired bypass could let the district operate lights for the remainder of the season, but the board discussed the trade-offs and the need for a formal bid if they proceed.

High school exterior/waterproofing: Facilities staff reported the high school brick exterior requires periodic resealing on roughly a 10-year cycle; a single-vendor estimate to reseal the entire exterior exceeded $1 million. The district proposed splitting the work into thirds over three years to reduce the single-year cost.

Vehicles and heavy equipment: The proposed vehicle purchases include two school buses, a maintenance truck (replacement for an aging vehicle), additional staff transport vehicles, and a new enclosed trailer for the district’s semi to avoid frequent breakdowns and instrument damage. District staff said the trailer estimate is in the mid-six-figure range (roughly $150,000–$155,000) before any trade-in credit.

Band instruments and cameras: The district budgeted money to establish an instrument replacement rotation so the band program can replace large, school-owned instruments (tubas, percussion, xylophones) that are expensive to buy individually. District staff reported paying for roughly $200,000 in new bus cameras and a newer upload-capable system that uploads when buses arrive, which staff said improved daily reliability.

Funding approach: Board members and staff agreed the building fund is the primary funding source for large capital projects and that some projects should be designated in the fund plan but can be adjusted later. The board prioritized dedicating undesignated building fund dollars toward an eventual new elementary school while keeping smaller pools available for urgent items like lighting if needed.

What happens next: District staff said they will break the projects into discrete bids and bring refined cost estimates and recommended sequencing to the board for formal approval.