School facilities assessment tool presented; staff recommends $1.62 million building reserve

The Facilities Committee of the Whole met May 27 and heard a presentation on a new facilities assessment tool and a staff recommendation to set a $1,620,000 minimum ending fund balance for the district’s building fund.

The presentation, delivered by facilities staff member Jonathan Show, explained the tool’s methodology and how it translates building-condition scores into a per-square-foot reserve target. "They protect us against unexpected facility costs. They avoid disruptions to instructional planning and staff," Show said of cash reserves, adding that the tool assigns weights to critical systems such as the building envelope, roof, HVAC and plumbing and then ties scores to dollar-per-square-foot multipliers.

The recommendation matters because a dedicated building reserve would reduce pressure on the district’s general fund when unplanned repairs occur, staff said. "This the one we're presenting on today is that first layer, that cash reserves. They allow the district to move quickly on critical repairs," Show told the committee.

The scorecard rates each building across systems (envelope, HVAC, roof, plumbing, electrical, safety, accessibility, interior finishes and grounds) and applies multipliers that place greater weight on envelope and roof conditions. Show said…