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Finance committee proposes using FY25 operating surplus to replace HVAC units, buy a bus and fund repairs
Summary
Mister Nucci presented a finance‑committee plan to spend $534,000 of an estimated $655,000 FY25 operating surplus on urgent HVAC, chiller and pavement repairs and to carry forward $300,000 in capital for a bus purchase and facility upgrades.
Mister Nucci, speaking for the finance committee, presented a plan on Sept. 22, 2025, to allocate an estimated $655,000 operating carryforward from fiscal year 2025 and to carry forward $300,000 in capital funds for priority maintenance and safety projects across Clarke County Public Schools.
The committee’s operating recommendation would allocate $534,000 of the $655,000 to five projects and return about $121,000 to the county general fund. The operating requests the committee listed are:
- $240,000 to replace the Cooley Elementary lower D‑wing HVAC with a variable‑refrigerant‑flow (VRF) system (8 indoor units) to address humidity and individual room control; - $100,000 for the School Board Office multipurpose room HVAC unit (the boardroom); - $100,000 for a replacement chiller at Boyce Elementary; - $67,000 for Johnson‑Williams Middle School HVAC repairs (three units that recently began failing); - $27,000 to repave the Boyce Elementary playground and portions of Johnson‑Williams parking lots.
For capital carryforward, the committee proposed using $300,000 to cover items the district would otherwise request in the next budget cycle, including:
- $127,000 for a single replacement bus to maintain the fleet purchase rhythm (one bus this year), - $60,000 to replace the Johnson‑Williams Middle School auditorium sound system (staff described the current console as decades‑old, overly complex and partially inoperable), - $40,000 to repaint the School Board Office, $20,000 to replace two retractable basketball hoops at Johnson‑Williams (safety and functionality concern), $20,000 for transportation building security cameras and $20,000 for track repairs and long‑jump runway repainting.
Why it matters: Nucci said the committee sought projects that are urgent for safety, reliability and to avoid larger future capital requests. “Of this ask, you know, $500,000 of the operating ask is just an HVAC. So there's not much, you know, bells and whistles to it,” Nucci said, explaining that the HVAC work is largely the driver of the total request.
Context and safeguards: Nucci said the district will obtain competitive quotes as required before contracting major HVAC work and that the list was chosen after maintenance walkthroughs that flagged humidity and failing equipment. The Cooley D‑wing VRF installation was described as the single largest ticket item and intended to reduce humidity problems and stress on outdoor units.
Next steps and approvals: The board will vote on the carryforward request in new business; if the board approves, the package goes to the county Board of Supervisors for final approval next month. Nucci noted that the committee aimed to cover the district’s capital ask for the next budget cycle with these carryforwards unless the board directs otherwise.
Ending: Committee members framed the proposal as proactive maintenance to protect facilities and avoid larger costs later. The board did not take a final vote on the carryforward at the Sept. 22 presentation; the finance‑committee recommendation was set for formal consideration under new business.
