Saint Croix School Board approves amended Fund 46 capital-improvement plan, prioritizes exterior repairs and HVAC reserves

The Saint Croix School District Board of Education on March 19 approved an amended Fund 46 capital improvement plan after an extended discussion of aging building systems and prioritized exterior caulking and tuckpointing at the middle school.

Facilities staff described multiple rooftop unit (RTU) compressors that are at end of life, boilers that ran “pinned” during recent cold snaps, and masonry joints that the staff said risk water intrusion and progressive damage. Board members discussed funding priorities, one-off repairs that can be done this summer and the need to begin budgeting an annual reserve.

Nick (staff member) told the board many rooftop units use tandem compressors so “if I lose one compressor, the whole unit goes down,” and said parts and refrigerant availability make some repairs impractical. He told the board a single large rooftop unit could cost about $100,000 to replace and that a comprehensive wish list of work would total roughly $2,500,000.

Board members pressed on what to do first if the district cannot fund everything this year. Nick said his top immediate priority is exterior caulking and tuckpointing at the middle school because water intrusion can cause cascading failures, including rust on window sills and frost heave on sidewalks. He said contractors reported a $30,000 minimum mobilization to start work on a building face; he suggested $30,000 as a starting allocation and $30,000–$60,000 as a short-term range to address visible needs.

District finance staff (Jen, staff member) explained how Fund 46 works: amounts placed in the fund are considered spent for budget/state-aid purposes but may be carried and spent in later years. She said state statute allows the district to place funds into the account through July 31 for the prior fiscal year. The board discussed whether to start budgeting a recurring contribution; members suggested setting a minimum target of $50,000 annually and discussed the potential to allocate $100,000 if feasible to avoid deferring maintenance.

Board members also discussed recent referendum spending and near-final invoices for ongoing projects; finance staff said the referendum balance is nearly exhausted and final invoices from vendors such as Heartland remain outstanding.

After discussion, Board member Dave moved to approve the amended Fund 46 capital improvement plan; Brad seconded. The board approved the plan on a voice vote; no opposition was recorded.

Board members said they expect to consider specific funding allocations during budget planning and to direct staff to prioritize tuckpointing and targeted RTU or water-heater replacements as invoices and budgets allow.