LCPS staff outline Title IX facility needs for girls' sports, ask board to prioritize projects for budgeting

Operations staff presented an initial Title IX facilities review to the board on Jan. 21 that identified multiple upgrades and new construction needs tied to expanding girls’ athletics and new programs such as girls’ wrestling and powerlifting.

Key findings and estimates: Staff described needs at Las Cruces High (estimated roughly $6.2 million), Oregon Mountain High (approx. $6.5 million) and Mayfield High (approx. $5.0 million) to create or improve girls’ locker rooms, add restrooms close to softball and baseball fields, provide electrical service to portable locker areas, and improve sheltering and safety for outdoor sports. Centennial High, a newer campus, had fewer Title IX infrastructure gaps but staff said safety sheltering and access remain concerns across campuses.

Why it matters: Staff tied the facility needs to changes in program offerings — e.g., girls’ wrestling and powerlifting — and to Title IX obligations to provide equitable access. The operations team said they had conducted walk-throughs, solicited principal and coach input, and asked schools to prioritize projects so finance can estimate costs and consider project timing in bond planning.

Board direction: The district will assemble prioritized project lists with cost estimates and return to the board as part of capital-planning and bond discussions. Staff emphasized identifying near-term work that could be paid from operations and longer-term projects that would require capital funding.

No formal vote was taken; staff requested direction and asked for the board’s input on prioritization and funding strategies.