Board ties leave capital budget, local request and easement unresolved; $31M fields estimate unveiled

The Iredell‑Statesville Schools Board of Education’s March 16 meeting ended with several high‑stakes items unresolved after repeated 3–3 votes.

Capital budget: Facilities director Mark Shankuric presented the 2026‑27 capital budget request that staff estimated with a 12% increase over the prior year and flagged urgent capital needs including an estimated $13 million in HVAC replacements. Shankuric described a comprehensive list of needs (roofing, paving, vehicles, HVAC and life‑cycle replacements) and said the county previously increased capital support but that the proposed request is still far short of the district’s long‑term needs. When the board voted to approve the capital request to send to county commissioners, the result was a 3–3 tie and the motion failed, leaving county negotiations without a board‑approved request.

Local current expense: The district’s local current expense request to start county budget conversations (presented as a ballpark figure because state numbers were pending) likewise failed on a 3–3 vote. Finance staff said assumptions included a possible 5% state salary increase, rising retirement contribution rates and higher health‑insurance costs; the proposed local revenue increase would have been roughly 15.8% to cover projected local shortfalls and new personnel costs for two new schools.

Enbridge easement and activity bus: The board also tied 3–3 on an easement for Enbridge Gas to access utility lines at Wethers Creek High School; staff warned that without the easement the school would not have natural gas services for kitchens and some HVAC components. Separately, a request to buy a replacement 72‑passenger activity bus under statewide contract for $158,069 failed 3–3; staff warned postponing purchase could raise the price or make the particular bus unavailable.

Wethers Creek athletic fields estimate: In a separate presentation, staff estimated full Phase 2 athletic facilities for Wethers Creek — stadium, baseball/softball, soccer, tennis, parking and a field house — at a little over $31 million, excluding some sports equipment and certain operational costs. Presenters described value‑engineering and phasing options (for example, prioritizing a football stadium to serve fall sports) and warned that deferral would likely increase total costs and complicate redistricting and scheduling for neighboring high schools.

What this means: Multiple ties mean the board did not provide a clear budget posture to the county and left several facilities and procurement items unresolved. Board members and staff said they will continue conversations with the county and explore phasing and value‑engineering to reduce short‑term costs, while public commenters urged the board to resolve the vacancy that many said was contributing to repeated ties.