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Consultants estimate nearly $62 million in facility needs; district weighs priorities
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Summary
McMillan Paz and Smith presented a facility needs assessment estimating about $61.8 million in current deferred needs across district facilities, with mechanical, electrical and plumbing accounting for roughly 40% of the total; board asked follow-up questions about timelines, escalation and the costly 441 Haywood Road site.
A consultant team presented the district's facility needs assessment, advising the board on condition ratings, prioritized repairs and high-level cost estimates. "The value of those 4,644 instances is approximately $61,800,000," Aubrey Donnellan told the board, citing the study's summary of instances rated across site, building envelope, interiors, MEP (mechanical, electrical and plumbing) and health/safety categories.
Consultants said roughly 50% of the cost is tied to items rated 1 and 2 (higher priority), with about 40% of total dollars attributable to MEP systems, which are large, long-life infrastructure items. The high school and the district operations facility were listed among the largest cost drivers.
Board members pressed for clarity on whether estimates reflect high, low or midpoint pricing and how escalation would be applied over multiyear timelines; the consultant said a cost estimator was engaged and that escalation and contingency factors are built into the estimates for multi-year planning.
The assessment also flagged the District Operations facility and the central office (including mold-related work at 441 Haywood Road) as significant concerns. District staff explained that equipment must be relocated because of mold at 441 Haywood Road and planned DOT (I‑26 corridor) construction; to secure equipment, staff requested an increase to an existing fencing contract for a fenced storage area at central office. One board member asked to pull that fencing contract from the consent agenda to allow more time for questions.
The consultant said the next steps include enrollment and capacity analysis, demographic projections and operational cost analysis with the goal of returning options and prioritization to the board in June. The district will incorporate the facility findings into capital planning and align resources to the strategic plan.
The board did not adopt any capital actions at the work session; the facility assessment was presented for information and for use in upcoming budget and capital discussions.
