Lebanon Community School Corp. presents $87.7 million campus master plan; hearing is informational

Lebanon Community School Corporation held a public hearing Tuesday evening at the Herman B. Wells Community Center to present a conceptual 2026 campus master plan and outline financial parameters for the project. The presentation described new and renovated athletics facilities, site work north of the middle school and a financing approach that could include up to $87,695,000 in bond authorization; the board took no action.

Dennis, the district presenter, said the plan’s primary components include converting the auxiliary gym into a wrestling facility, expanding weight-room square footage, and renovating the natatorium. On the pool, he said the district is considering rotating and lengthening the current six-lane pool into an eight-lane competition configuration that would add a diving well, two springboards, two warm-up lanes and approximately 450 elevated spectator seats, plus concessions and a "wet classroom" for instruction. "We are approaching a point where our current pool is no longer able to be serviced," he said, warning that some parts are no longer manufactured and some service companies will not guarantee work.

The weight-room proposal would move programming out of a converted auto-shop area (about 50% of the current floor sits over crawl space) to structurally sound slab-on-grade space, allowing more racks and larger class sizes; the presenter said current constraints limit participation to roughly 50 students per section. The auxiliary gym conversion would also create a combined practice and competition wrestling gym with retractable bleachers (presenter cited about 336 seats) and coach offices to serve both high-school and youth-club needs.

At the stadium, the plan would replace a six-lane track (which currently limits the district to dual meets) with an expanded athletics complex that includes a 3,500-seat home side, a 1,000-seat visitor side and a new press box. The presenter said replacing deteriorating bleachers could trigger building-code requirements for restroom fixtures; in discussing fixture standards he said the district does not currently meet the applicable fixture counts for the existing seating. The plan calls for a northern outbuilding to house restrooms, visitor locker rooms, concessions and ticketing so visiting teams and spectators can be separated from home operations.

The northern athletics site would also include a new 8-lane track, turf varsity baseball field (JV field would remain grass), soccer improvements and defined cross-country courses (3K for middle school, 5K for high school). The presentation noted that varsity baseball is currently played at Memorial Park, a city-owned asset that the city has shared with the district.

Project scope details presented included a proposed 350-space parking lot to centralize parking for sports at the northern site; a post-tension track substrate with a cited 50-year warranty; and a phased approach to construction. Presenter Dennis described the plan as a master plan (conceptual, not bid-ready) with individual elements that can proceed independently but that may produce economies if grouped.

On financing, the presentation set a maximum bond authorization of $87,695,000 and listed anticipated interest scenarios from 1% to 7% for planning context (the presenter said 4% would be likely if bonds were issued at current market conditions). The presenter said the net impact on the district’s non-exempt debt service rate would be "just under 16" in the phrasing used at the meeting and noted recent changes in local assessed valuation that reduced the district’s rate to 86¢ this year (about an 11¢ drop from historical rates near 97¢–99¢). The presenter said maximum annual debt service would be roughly 0.79% of net assessed valuation and reported a direct and overlapping debt share of 13.35%. To cash-flow the program and limit par issuance, the district described a three-fall-issuance approach with an overall 27-month timeline starting in March 2027 and concluding in July 2029 if all elements proceed consecutively.

Board members asked clarifying questions on course construction (presenter: grass with native plantings and mowed paths), community use and locker-room access (the presenter cited the Big 4 Swim Club, which already uses district pool facilities), and sequencing. The presenter noted the auxiliary gym will be used as a cafeteria for the second semester of the next school year and therefore would not be available for renovation until 2027.

During public comment, Aaron Smith of Countryside Drive — the sole speaker recorded at the hearing — confirmed the $87,695,000 figure and raised concerns about public outreach and tax impacts. "This failure of a one-person public hearing is partly because you didn't make a satisfactory effort to advertise the importance and the breadth of what's going on," Smith said, and urged the district to clarify financial implications for families; he cited that roughly half the student body participates in reduced-price or free lunch programs. Board leaders reiterated that no action was required at the informational hearing.

The district did not adopt any motions at the Feb. 10 hearing; the presentation was informational and the board did not vote. The administration indicated more detailed project scoping, cost estimates and financing decisions would precede any formal bond issuance or board action.