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Consultants present $240 million facilities master plan as board seeks study session
Summary
MGT consultants told the Lynwood Unified board the district faces capacity imbalances and aging portable classrooms and estimated roughly $240 million to bring facilities to a target condition; board members requested a study session and community members later pressed for clarity on spending priorities.
Consultants from MGT presented a facilities master plan to the Lynwood Unified School District board on Oct. 24, telling trustees a combination of declining births, mobility and development means the district should manage capacity strategically while addressing aging infrastructure.
Lance Richards, introduced by district staff as one of the MGT representatives, summarized the demographic outlook and utilization concerns and said the district is starting a trend of declining enrollment: "We're forecasting that you're gonna have a decrease of about 8% up until 2033," he said, noting that middle schools showed particular capacity issues. He added that the district’s newer buildings generally scored well while older portables were often in need of replacement.
Nerissa Sparks, also of MGT, outlined recommended priorities for work on district facilities: "The first priority is to get the infrastructure of the buildings back up to speed. We need to get the electrical, HVAC, plumbing systems," she said, and then address the building envelope (windows, doors, roofing) before interior modernization. Sparks reported the district has roughly 252 relocatable classrooms, many nearing 30 years in age, and said removing some portables as students are moved back into permanent facilities would improve utilization.
MGT also recommended education‑suitability and safety upgrades including security cameras, PA systems, lighting and more equitable athletic and physical-education facilities across campuses. The consultants presented an estimated budgetary total of $240,000,000 to bring all buildings to a target condition of about 85% or higher.
Superintendent Dr. Crossway thanked the consultants and said district leaders would prioritize recommendations and follow up: "Absolutely" to requests for a study session, he told trustees after a board member asked for more time to review materials. Board members later asked for a dedicated study session to walk through the report's recommendations and financial priorities; one member specifically asked how green space and athletic-field equity could be incorporated into next steps.
Why it matters: The master plan is intended to guide capital investments across the district — decisions that affect building safety, instructional spaces and future bond proposals. The consultants’ budget estimate frames the scale of potential future funding requests and the district’s options for prioritizing repairs, modernization and program placement.
What’s next: Trustees and staff said they will schedule further review, including a study session to examine priorities and the master plan’s recommended sequencing before the board takes any funding actions.
Sources: Presentation and Q&A with MGT consultants Lance Richards and Nerissa Sparks; superintendent remarks recorded during the Oct. 24 board meeting.
