Kraus Anderson finds $55.7 million in 10-year deferred maintenance needs; district gets interactive facility planning tool

Kraus Anderson consultants presented the Monticello Public School District with a facility condition assessment that identified approximately $55.7 million in deferred maintenance needs over the next 10 years across six district facilities, the consulting team said.

Presenters said roofs and HVAC systems account for the largest portions of the estimated deferred maintenance. The consultants told the board the assessment includes inventory and condition data for more than 1,500 assets, a facility condition index (FCI) for each building, and a cloud-based portal the district can use to reprioritize work as conditions or budgets change. Consultants said the district’s current long-term facility maintenance (LTFM) funding—projected at about $750,000 annually for the first six years and roughly $1.25 million thereafter—would cover only a fraction of the 10-year needs.

Kraus Anderson representatives walked the board through building-level needs: Eastview, Little Mountain, the high school (the largest single building allocation), the middle school, Pinewood and the district’s hockey arena (which the presenters noted the district will own after a future transfer). Common items include roof replacements, parking lot and site work, HVAC recommissioning and selective mechanical replacements, bathroom accessibility upgrades, and electrical switchgear nearing the end of service life. The consultants noted that some middle-school roof work may be covered by insurance proceeds already on hand.

Consultants described how the portal links photos, notes and priority codes to each asset; they recommended using the tool to sequence “priority 1” critical items first and to present the data publicly to support long-range planning. The assessment’s capital projection is intended to inform LTFM spending, potential bond or referendum planning, and task-force discussions about adequacy versus maintenance priorities.

Board members asked about the method for prioritizing projects, the meaning of condition codes in the spreadsheet, and when items move from maintenance to full replacement. Consultants said priorities are initially set by industry life-expectancy standards (0–2 years for priority 1, 3–7 for priority 2, and 7–10 for priority 3) and then can be rebalanced with district staff input. The consulting team provided spreadsheet access that the district plans to make available to the public.

No formal board action was required; the board thanked the consultants and discussed next steps, including possible task-force work and public messaging if the district chooses to pursue additional funding.