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School board narrows bond spending plan ahead of July 10 vote
Summary
Board members reviewed the five-year capital improvement plan and tentatively allocated $4 million toward Chester High roofing ahead of a scheduled July 10 special meeting to vote on a bond resolution; staff will finalize designs and refine cost estimates before the vote.
The Chester County School District Board reviewed a draft five-year capital improvements plan and narrowed the list of projects to be funded if voters approve a bond resolution that the board plans to consider at a special meeting on July 10. Speaker 1 reminded the board that "that is the drop dead date for that to be voted on" to allow a 2025 issuance of bonds.
Board members and staff worked line by line through district estimates, asking for clarification on whether figures were firm bids, RFP responses, or placeholders. Speaker 2 told the board which vendors provided specific estimates, noting Garland supplied a locked-in bid for the Great Falls High roof while most Thompson Turner figures remain conceptual without final designs or a guaranteed maximum price.
At the end of the discussion the board had a preliminary bond column of roughly $5.995 million for the coming fiscal year that would include $4,000,000 tentatively allocated to Chester High roofing, roughly $100,000 for outside lighting, and other items the board agreed could fit within the planned bond issuance. Speaker 1 said the district’s financial advisor estimated annual bond capacity of about $6–7 million after accounting for existing debt and that millage timing and issuance deadlines would affect whether the district can show the debt on this year's tax bills.
Staff committed to finalize designs, confirm which estimates are locked, and provide a prioritization list ahead of the July 10 meeting. A memo from the district bond counsel about the "SKAGO" bond program and timing was circulated during the meeting and the attorney offered to attend the July 10 meeting to answer legal and timing questions.
The board did not take a final vote on the bond at this meeting; the discussion produced a prioritized list of projects and a staff assignment to refine cost information and the bond column for the July 10 decision.
