Facilities staff lay out constrained 2026–27 capital plan; recurring maintenance consumes most funds

District facilities staff reviewed the draft capital outlay program for 2026–27 and walked board members through recurring maintenance obligations and a limited pool of discretionary funds for growth‑related projects.

Staff said recurring obligations—for site maintenance, modular repairs, painting, intercoms, emergency roof work and other annual items—consume the majority of the capital outlay allocation, leaving a modest balance for discretionary site improvements. The presentation identified three near‑term growth projects that together use a large portion of the available discretionary funds: expanded parking at Coast, cafeteria seating expansion and enclosure at North Brunswick High School, and a queue‑stacking lane at Leland to reduce traffic on Old Fayetteville Road.

Facilities staff also listed school‑level work they recommend where funds remain: playground surfacing at Bolivia, LED signage and graphics at several schools, restroom and locker‑room renovations at high‑school athletic areas, water‑fountain replacement and targeted sewer and plumbing replacements at older campuses.

Board members asked about staging large projects, temporary student‑seating options and whether projects can be split across summers to reduce disruption. Staff said many projects must be done during the summer but will explore staging where feasible. The facilities office emphasized the importance of maintenance funding to protect recent bond investments and minimize stripping/waxing custodial costs by replacing tile floors with LVT where possible.

Staff will return with a final recommended capital outlay budget to present for board action; the district noted some items may be deferred or included in the next bond depending on capacity and priorities.