Committee discusses $100M high-school scenario, IRS clean-energy proceeds and tax-levy options

Facility committee leaders revisited broader high-school planning and financing, describing a targeted project focused on the building sections older than 50 years and laying out funding options including referendums and district reserves.

Speaker 3 told the committee the core team is concentrating on the portion of the high-school building more than 50 years old and used a rough example cost of $100 million to illustrate scale. He said that, without sources applied to the property tax levy, such a project would undermine the district’s long-term property-tax consistency and that the board should consider whether to apply IRS clean-energy rebate proceeds to reduce levy impacts over the next three to four years.

Speaker 3 also referenced recent district receipts: "the $1,000,000 that we received from the IRS, the much larger reimbursement that will be coming, which is in the 4 plus million dollar range," and said staff (Ally and others) can prepare alternative tables showing scenarios with and without applying those federal proceeds. He said a spring community survey will be used to seek public feedback and that the board will meet at a February 19 retreat to address these trade-offs.

Committee members asked for multiple scenarios: a table showing the $100 million example using some federal proceeds to temper levy increases, and a separate table that does not rely on federal funds so the public understands the alternative. Speaker 3 said the team will prepare both approaches and align the survey questions to whichever path the board prefers to explore publicly.

No final funding decision was made. Staff were asked to prepare scenario tables and the survey in advance of the February 19 retreat.