Cypress School District outlines 10-year facilities master plan, Landau modernization tied to bond funding

Teresa Lennox, the districtdirector of MOTT, presented the Cypress School DistrictFacilities Master Plan on the boardroom dais, outlining 10-year needs across six schools and proposed funding strategies.

Lennox said the plan will "provide information to our stakeholders" and guide equitable modernization across sites, with attention to deferred maintenance, modular buildings nearing end-of-life and technology infrastructure. She described Fund 14 (deferred maintenance), Fund 25 (developer fees) and Fund 40 (capital outlay from prior pass-through agreements) as primary non-general-fund sources for capital work and noted some pass-through revenues are expiring.

The presentation highlighted recent and completed projects, including a January 2024 roofing replacement for the Morse Building F and districtwide multipurpose-room renovations (total cost cited for that scope: $435,000). Lennox said modular buildings and portables are increasingly reaching end of life and will require reroofing or replacement, and she proposed bidding in September to reroof the Vessels building E with construction planned over winter break (an estimated $400,000, subject to change).

On kindergarten and transitional kindergarten capacity, the district obtained Division of the State Architect (DSA) approvals for plans adding restrooms to existing classrooms (DSA approval noted on June 4). Lennox said the DSA-approved drawings are valid for five years and "give us a great runway" to add restrooms or make short-schedule improvements if enrollment requires additional TK/K capacity.

Lennox also flagged AB 2208as a driver of an LED retrofit: after Jan. 1, 2025 the district cannot purchase pin-based compact fluorescent lamps, so staff propose bulb retrofits to LED lamps rather than wholesale fixture replacement; costs remain under study.

Technology and cybersecurity were included as facilities priorities. Lennox described a shift to Microsoft 365, an antivirus change to Malwarebytes (identified as improving threat detection and reducing disruptive forced restarts), an ongoing Windows 11 upgrade on staff devices and planned wireless and wireless-controller bids under E-rate equipment funding (E-rate type 2 covers equipment on a 50/50 basis and depends on the districtfree/reduced percentage for eligibility).

On Landau modernization, Lennox presented a conceptual site master plan that would remove several portables, reconfigure circulation and add one or more modular classroom buildings (including TK spaces with restrooms), lunch shelters and adjustments to office space. She said the concept is intended to allow piecemeal modernization when funding becomes available rather than a single large project.

"This is just scratching the surface," Lennox said, noting many variables will affect scope and timing and that the full modernization is contingent on accessing bond proceeds or state matching funds. Board members asked clarifying questions about diagram legibility, restroom configurations and site circulation; staff confirmed the diagrams will be included in the final document and that restroom additions were designed to mirror existing preschool installations.

The district also proposed a deferred-maintenance Professional Development Room renovation (Suite 190) with an estimated cost of $250,000; Lennox said it would return to the board for approval if pursued.

What the board decided: Trustees received the Facilities Master Plan presentation, asked clarifying questions and directed staff to continue developing DSA submittals and project staging plans so the district is ready to pursue state matching funds or bond-supported modernization when funding is available.

Next steps include finalizing DSA submittals for prioritized projects, continuing routine deferred maintenance guided by site assessments, and returning specific project contracts (bid awards and approvals) to the board for action as funding is identified.