Clayton Board reviews Paragon long‑range facilities master plan with $94M maintenance estimate, options for new elementary schools

Brad Erwin of Paragon presented the firm’s long‑range facilities master plan to the Clayton Board of Education and the community, summarizing eight to nine months of building assessments, stakeholder engagement and cost estimates.

Paragon’s condition assessment identified roughly $94 million of capital‑improvement and deferred‑maintenance needs across district facilities over the next 15–20 years, with larger projects at Clayton High School and certain elementary campuses. Erwin said the district’s ongoing capital budget covers some routine work but that larger “level 2” and “level 3” options would require community participation through bond financing.

The study breaks projects into three tiers. Level 1 work is standard maintenance and system replacement that can be scheduled; Paragon estimated about $35 million for HVAC replacements across the district over the next 10–20 years. Level 2 options would add targeted additions and selective renovations (Paragon estimated roughly $137 million across identified sites when combining many level‑2 projects). Level 3 would be more comprehensive—substantial demolition and rebuilds that…