District seeks city match to pursue roofs and security grants for Wesley and Spencer schools

Marco, the district facilities staff, told the committee Dec. 15 that roof replacements are a high-priority capital need at Wesley and Spencer schools and that the district is developing a plan to seek state grant reimbursement. "We're looking for Dr. Hadley and the team and I are developing a plan to move forward. But the first step is notification to this committee and the board," Marco said, adding the district must secure the city's commitment to its share before applying for the grant and to qualify for a ~67.14% reimbursement rate.

On security, Marco said the district is assessing camera replacements and other upgrades and expects a round of state security grants in winter or early spring; he also noted a non-priority DAS grant could be an alternate route but that both options would require city matching funds. "There's a round of security grants coming out from the state sometime in the winter or early spring and we're also looking at another possibility applying through a non priority grant through DAS," Marco said.

Natalie and Dr. Adley said the district is preparing supporting materials and will provide a summary memorandum to the board. Marco said the facilities assessment will be completed and shared before formal application to the city and state so elected officials can confirm commitment levels.

No formal application or city commitment was recorded at the meeting; staff described the next step as preparing materials and seeking city concurrence so grant applications can move forward.