South Euclid-Lyndhurst leaders launch facilities master plan, Ameresco to finish audit

South Euclid-Lyndhurst Board of Education members were presented with the start of a facilities master plan on Dec. 10, with staff saying a third‑party audit by Ameresco will be used to prioritize long‑term repairs and capital projects.

"This is a strategic document that outlines a long term vision, priorities, and actions needed to manage and improve the school district's" facilities, Superintendent Dom Capel told the board as he introduced the project. Capel said the district's preschool enrollment "has quadrupled in size, post COVID. We have the data to back that up," and cited that growth as one reason for a districtwide plan.

The plan will use Ameresco, which the staff said already completed an energy audit and has done about "50 to 60 percent" of the work the district needs. Lee Fuller, the district's director of business affairs, told the board Ameresco said "it wouldn't take much to do the remainder" of the audit and that Ameresco will complete that remaining work without charging the district as part of a business development arrangement.

Board and staff described the master plan as a multi‑year, districtwide inventory of building envelopes, mechanical systems (HVAC, boilers), roofs, accessibility, parking and other capital needs. Capel and Fuller said the goal is to avoid short‑term "patchwork" repairs and instead prioritize projects by risk and remaining useful life. Fuller outlined technical steps the consultant will take, including an infrared roof scan and core samples in warmer months to identify moisture and roof sections that have been patched at different times.

Staff estimated Ameresco would deliver a more detailed needs assessment in roughly six to eight weeks after the consultant completes the fieldwork; district staff suggested end of February or early March as the likely delivery window. The report will include cost estimates and prioritization scores by building and system; Fuller said the scoring will let the district decide, for example, whether to tackle top priorities across multiple buildings or to concentrate resources at one site.

Capel and Fuller said the master plan will be used to inform the district capital budget and the use of permanent improvement (PI) funds. The staff told the board the district has PI dollars already committed to air conditioning projects for a 15–20 year horizon, and additional PI balances from past renovations, but did not disclose a specific dollar amount in the public meeting.

Capel described three district priorities that will guide the plan: space for an expanded preschool, renovation or creation of a Brush Performing Arts Center, and a centralized family welcome center to consolidate admissions and student services. Fuller said the audit will rate conditions and provide line‑item estimates; Capel said the plan will be used to gain community and board feedback before projects advance.

No formal board vote was taken on the Ameresco engagement during the work session; staff described the arrangement as a tentative partnership and said they will return to the board with Ameresco's written findings and budget options.

The district emphasized the master plan is intended as a long‑range (a decade or more) roadmap rather than a short‑term repair list. Capel said the plan "allows for community and stakeholder involvement and the long term success," and Fuller said a long‑term view will let officials make more strategic choices about when to use financing such as a tax anticipation note.

The board asked several technical questions about the audit process, including whether Ameresco could estimate remaining useful life for roofs and mechanicals; Fuller said the firm will provide that data and that the roof scan and core samples will be part of that determination.

Staff said they will update the board and public after Ameresco provides the prioritized needs assessment and cost estimates.