District outlines capital maintenance plan aligned with referendum work

Tim Harder, the district’s director of facilities and technology, presented a capital maintenance plan Feb. 23 that the administration said is being realigned with referendum projects to avoid duplicative costs and reduce contractor mobilization.

Harder said the district’s recent AIA contract amendment covers projects at Badger, Silverbrook and GreenTree and that the bids for those projects came in under budget. “These projects all came in under budget, is where we like to see when we come in from our bidding,” he told the board, noting that coordinating work lets the district avoid reopening ceilings and save on repeat mobilization costs.

Harder described key items in the maintenance plan: roofing replacement and envelope work, HVAC control system upgrades to add 24/7 monitoring and more precise space control, retaining‑wall repair at the high school soccer stadium and at McLean, playground replacements to standardize elementary sites, storage building replacements and upgrades, and replacement of aging plow trucks and other equipment. He said some work will be performed in‑house, some will be phased to avoid student disruptions, and some student construction classes will partner on lower‑risk projects.

Board members asked about projected energy savings from HVAC controls and design options for retaining walls; Harder said the district typically sees a 10–15% building reduction in energy consumption from such controls and described a two‑tier retaining‑wall approach for the soccer stadium to improve drainage and durability.

The board treated the plan as a discussion item and agreed to place the project package on a future consent agenda for action if no objections are raised before then.