Board approves CIP amid debate over order, county scoring rubric and 5-on-5 working group
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Summary
The board approved the FY27–31 capital improvement plan after debate about project order, the county—s new rubric and the stalled 5-on-5 working group; superintendent said the county will score projects and the district secured a commitment to have a district representative on the scoring committee.
The Lee County Board of Education voted to approve the proposed FY27–31 capital improvement plan after committee discussion and a floor debate about project sequencing and long-term needs.
Operations committee members said the committee—s list represents projects identified through prior studies, but several board members urged more time to weigh project order and objected to routine maintenance being listed as CIP items. Board members repeatedly urged completion of the previously announced 5-on-5 working group (three commissioners, three board members, county and school finance leaders) that was meant to coordinate long-range funding and transparency; the chair said the working group had not yet convened.
Superintendent Dawsonbach and staff had met with the county manager and were told the county will require separate applications and will score projects with a rubric; Dawsonbach said the district requested and obtained a seat at the county scoring table so a district representative can explain school-specific needs during scoring. "Adding six classrooms with an auditorium could keep you from having to build a new high school," Dawsonbach said, noting that a new high school is estimated at about $130 million and that modern auditoriums can be revenue-generating for community use.
Specific project numbers and bids discussed in committee included a Greenwood Auditorium drainage bid (Sanford Contractors recommended at $170,000 using lottery funds with a $180,000 lottery application for contingency) and a bus-garage tentative completion date of Sept. 3, 2027. Board members noted a combined CIP line-item total of about $43.6 million in discussion; the board approved the plan by voice vote and will submit individual CIP applications to the county as required.
The board—s vote does not guarantee the county will fund the projects; county officials will score and prioritize projects before commissioners allocate funds. Several board members stressed that the board—s input and the promised 5-on-5 collaboration are important to keep the process transparent to the public.