District outlines 10‑year capital plan, says solar and several bids coming in under expected cost

John (facilities staff) presented the district’s 10‑year long‑range capital plan Tuesday and walked the board through the plan’s prioritization criteria — safety, life‑cycle and operations, aesthetics, program delivery and efficiency — and the color coding that indicates likely timing for projects over the next decade.

John said the district is "real close on issuing a contract for the solar" and that costs for the solar project are coming in lower than what was projected in the referendum. He told trustees the track and turf projects have been bid and are expected to be awarded within budget in the coming weeks, and Horizon flooring will be bid soon.

The presentation reviewed near‑term items at the high school — boilers and other HVAC efficiency work, auditorium lighting and AV components approaching the end of useful life, and bleacher replacements with long lead times. John said many high‑use items (scoreboards, lighting, HVAC controls) are at or nearing expected life cycles and were included in the plan to avoid deferred maintenance.

On flooring specifically, John explained the vinyl composition tile (VCT) at Horizon is at its approximate 25‑year life cycle with visible wear and cracking; the plan is to replace those floors, in some areas moving toward carpeting to reduce maintenance and speed classroom turnover during summer work.

Facilities staff said that, while the long‑range plan anticipates costs and timing, the board will be advised of priorities before funding decisions: options include operating budgets, the capital improvement trust (Fund 46), referendum proceeds and other grants. Staff emphasized the plan gives the district flexibility to address urgent repairs — "we're not going to jeopardize holding school in a building because we didn't have money allocated prior to it happening," John said — and that the plan aggregates user input from classrooms and staff to shape priorities.

Trustees asked about potential near‑term financial pressure; staff said no known project would create insoluble budget strain and reminded the board that a mix of funding sources would be used as needed. The board asked staff to continue providing status updates at upcoming meetings, and John said the solar contract and flooring bids will be on the near horizon.

No capital‑project approvals were taken at the meeting; staff identified several upcoming bid awards and said award recommendations would be presented to the board in the next weeks.