District planners outline $50M-$56M target for May capital project; larger $200M needs list to be phased
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Summary
Consultants and construction managers told the board a districtwide building-condition survey identified roughly $200 million in needs; the team is prioritizing scope to fit a likely $50M-$56M capital improvement project aimed for a May vote and planning phased construction beginning in 2027-2028.
District staff and outside consultants presented a long-range facilities plan and initial scope options for a capital improvement project the district plans to place before voters in May 2026.
Tori Walczak of Yon & Wright and representatives from Campus Construction summarized a building condition survey that cataloged hundreds of needs across the district. The consultants said the total list of wishes and needs initially totaled in the hundreds of millions; initial work has reduced that universe to just above $200 million and planners are working to refine scope to a realistic referendum value. "Right now, it's looking like a $50,000,000 to $56,000,000 project," one presenter said.
Prioritized scope items under consideration include districtwide fire alarm replacement, aging boilers, electrical infrastructure upgrades, renovations to high-school restrooms, and middle-school STEM and technology classrooms. The team discussed options to repurpose some middle-school pools as STEM suites by infilling and renovating the spaces, noting the change would require corridor additions and SED (State Education Department) review due to bathroom and code requirements.
Consultants outlined a tentative schedule that targets a May vote and follows a multi-step process: finalize scope and referendum value, complete required legal notices and vote preparation, then design and state education review. Construction for phase 1 was estimated to begin around 2028 with bidding in 2027; planners said phasing allows earlier starts and more manageable delivery.
Board members asked about pending building-code changes, restroom layouts, traffic circulation at elementary schools and the cost of fully air-conditioning buildings (presenters said full AC would cost an estimated $85 million and is unrealistic in this project). The administration planned field trips to peer districts and additional refinements to scope and financial assumptions before returning to the board.