Board reviews 2025–2030 capital plan; staff says it excludes COP funding and will be refined

The Duval County School Board spent an extended period reviewing the district’s proposed capital plan for fiscal years 2025–26 through 2029–30, asking how estimates were calculated and how school consolidation scenarios and funding sources were reflected.

Board member (speaker 1) asked whether the document included the certificates of participation (COPs) and other financing the district expects to use; staff said the capital plan in the packet covers capital outlay dollars only and does not include COPs or other financing instruments. "One of the things that's missing from this report because it's about capital outlay spent specifically from our capital dollars, this does not include the COPs or the certificates of participation that we're expecting to utilize," a district staff member said, naming several schools (Lake Lucina, William Raines, Englewood High School, Jean Ribault Middle and Lakeshore) that may be awaiting funding clarity.

Board members also queried how the maintenance estimates on the plan’s maintenance execution list were derived. Facilities staff said those figures come from department heads with experience of past costs and that the plan is a fluid document the district expects to revise as projects and funding change. "These numbers are provided to me through the different department heads, that have experience of what that what has cost in the past," a staff member said.

On funding and the Duval Reimagine 1.5-mill levy, staff said the design and preconstruction line items cover architectural and structural engineering; site preparation and construction costs are budgeted separately in the construction phase. "You do the design and then everything moves in construction which includes a site prep on that side," a staff member said.

Board members pressed about lifecycle plans for new buildings and long-term facilities maintenance. Facilities staff said the district has begun investing more in maintenance and is procuring software (Kahua) intended to help manage lifecycle replacements such as chillers. "This year, for the first time, we added a lot of additional dollars to try to help us get there into the maintenance cycle," a staff member said.

Several board members raised consolidation and enrollment questions tied to the capital plan. One board member asked whether the district had completed financial analyses comparing projected cost savings from school consolidations to actual results following prior consolidations such as the R. O. Brown example. Staff said detailed, multi-year analyses depend on state calculations the district still awaits (the transcript references a pending "fourth calculation") and that the district could produce trend-line analyses but might need multiple years of data to reach firm conclusions.

Members also discussed demographic trends: staff reported falling birthrates and a statewide decline in incoming kindergarten enrollment that complicates long-term capacity planning. "We are facing a reduction in the number of students that impacted the state by more than 10,000 children this year in kindergarten," a staff member said.

Board members asked for more detailed breakout materials and follow-up: staff said the board will receive the master facilities plan in the spring as an interrelated document, and that the capital plan will be updated as funding and project decisions change.

No final budget vote occurred during the discussion; staff said additional materials and follow-up analyses would be provided to the board.