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Utica school board presses for December plan on next $40 million phase of $120 million program
Summary
Trustees heard a detailed update on the district's multiyear capital plan, were told a conceptual scope for phase 2 must be identified by Dec. 2025 to preserve state aid timing, and asked staff and the buildings & grounds committee to bring concrete recommendations for board deliberation.
Trustees at the Utica City School District's Aug. 12 meeting pressed administrators for a clear plan to allocate the remaining portions of a multiyear capital program as staff described timelines tied to state approval.
Superintendent Dr. Spence and facilities staff reported that the district's first phase work is on track and that bids were solicited for phase 1 scopes. "We did collect bids for the first phase of the May $65,000,000 capital improvement project on July 22," said Nate, the district official providing the update, adding that the district received 17 bids across five prime contracts and recommended awarding to the lowest qualified contractors.
Facilities staff explained the use of a GSA schedule for equipment and services related to boilers, chillers and temperature controls, saying the procurement allows the district to take advantage of federally let pricing for eligible equipment.
The broader $120,000,000 proposition was described as a three‑phase program with roughly $40 million allocated per fiscal year. Craig, the facilities representative, said phase 1 (air conditioning for assembly spaces at Conklin, Kernan and Watson) is being expedited; staff said a conceptual scope for phase 2 must be identified by December 2025 to preserve eligibility for state aid review and to submit formal designs to the State Education Department in December 2026.
Board members repeatedly cautioned that a December committee recommendation should not be presented as a take‑it‑or‑leave‑it ultimatum. One trustee said the board needs sufficient time to deliberate: "We are a deliberative body," the trustee said, urging timetables that allow committee work, public discussion and full board review.
Staff noted a pending special‑education needs assessment is under state review; depending on its finding, some reconfigurations (for example, added special‑education classrooms) could be required before certain reconfiguration approvals proceed.
What happens next: facilities and the buildings & grounds committee will refine scopes and present recommended options to the board so trustees can decide which buckets of work to pursue for phase 2 ahead of the December conceptual deadline.
