Radnor facilities committee reviews 5-year capital plan, building automation rollout

Radnor Township SD's Facilities Committee on Jan. 13 reviewed its 5- and 10-year capital plan, with staff laying out projects, funding sources and an implementation timeline.

Facilities staff opened the session by stressing that "it is a plan," intended to guide priority setting and that individual projects will return to the committee and full board for final approval. Staff said the district began the 2025–26 capital program with a starting fund balance they stated as $25,000,000, noted budgeted additions of "1.7," and an end-of-year transfer of "2.5." Staff said the district expects a DECD grant of "2.5" to be recognized when projects finish. For the year, staff said planned capital projects total about $12,000,000, leaving a projected year-end balance of roughly $20,400,000.

Why it matters: the plan sets maintenance and replacement priorities for school buildings and facilities across the district, affecting budgets, classroom disruptions and future borrowing.

Key projects and timing Staff reviewed completed and ongoing work including flooring replacements, HVAC and controls upgrades at the high school (expected to finish in February 2026), partial roof work at the middle school, parking-lot maintenance, and site-specific items. The five-year plan presented lists $33,000,000 in projects; a combined 10-year total shown was $44,000,000. Staff cautioned that later-year items (years 6–10) are illustrative and may change.

Building automation and energy management The committee heard details about a districtwide building automation system that controls HVAC zones, lighting and monitors CO2 and humidity. Facilities staff said the automation vendor provides training as part of the contract: three HVAC employees are scheduled for factory training in March, after which the district will follow a "train-the-trainer" rollout so maintenance staff can make minor adjustments.

Staff also said revenue-grade metering was installed over winter break on the district's main switchgear to capture real-time electricity and peak demand data; staff said that data will be used to retune automation settings and reduce inrush and utility costs.

Transportation and environmental compliance On transportation infrastructure, staff reported aging underground storage tanks (USTs) and described current fueling inventory as three tanks (two diesel, one gasoline). Staff said the district tests USTs annually under DEP regulation and is evaluating options that could include removing one diesel tank as bus fuel types change.

Questions and next steps Committee members asked for clearer historical comparisons and dollar amounts for completed projects; staff agreed to provide five-year historical data and to include expenditure amounts in future summaries. A committee member emphasized retaining roughly 15% in capital reserves for credit-rating considerations when evaluating borrowing for projects such as Ithan Elementary construction. Staff noted procurement options (quotes, cooperative purchasing) and will return with more detailed cost information and project-specific approvals as needed.

The committee did not take formal votes on the capital plan at the Jan. 13 meeting. Staff said the public bid opening for the Ithan Elementary contract is scheduled for 3 p.m. the following day and that the board will consider awards on Feb. 24 following due diligence and intermediate discussions.