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Colton SD 53 board debates consolidating campuses, seeks bids for HVAC and track work
Summary
Board members discussed long‑range facilities options including consolidating from three campuses to two, retrofitting HVAC and pursuing grants or a slim bond; trustees asked staff to gather contractor bids, cost estimates and a decision matrix before committing to a path forward.
Colton School District 53 board members opened an extended facilities discussion after the data presentations, focusing on options to maintain three campuses versus consolidating to two and on capital needs such as HVAC, siding, window repairs and a new track and stadium.
Multiple trustees said they want concrete cost estimates before advancing any large plan. Board members asked staff to solicit two to three bids for HVAC work, siding, window replacement and other major repairs. One board member discussed pursuing grants or a narrowly scoped bond to fund urgent HVAC and window work; another suggested community and corporate fundraising for athletic facility upgrades. An informal cost figure was mentioned for a track/stadium project (a hoped‑for $350,000 figure that was later described as likely closer to $600,000).
Trustees debated educational tradeoffs of a K–6 model (moving sixth grade into elementary schools). A proponent said keeping sixth graders in elementary could preserve additional intervention time and continuity for early literacy supports; some trustees said they remain unconvinced about the social and identity implications for older students and requested more staff and community feedback. One trustee proposed a March field trip to a district that consolidated campuses to review a working example.
Board members also raised alternatives including mothballing or leasing a surplus building, exploring modular classrooms and balancing short‑term staffing needs against long‑term capital maintenance. Several trustees urged development of a decision matrix that lists options, costs, timelines, risks and impacts on instruction.
The board did not take a formal vote during the session. Directions recorded in the discussion: obtain contractor bids, prepare a set of feasible options with cost estimates and a decision matrix, schedule community and staff input, and report back to the board for a future decision.
Next steps: staff will obtain bids and prepare a facilities options memo; trustees plan to review bids and the options matrix at upcoming committee meetings before any formal decision.
