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Board previews $5.8 million plan for JB Young pre‑K and discusses five‑year budget projection showing enrollment declines
Summary
Staff presented a preliminary $5.8 million phase‑2 plan to convert JB Young first‑floor space into a preschool serving up to about 700 preschool students and reviewed a five‑year fiscal projection that anticipates a drop of roughly 300 certified students in 2028–29 and highlights a projected special‑education deficit and cash‑reserve constraints.
Staff asked the board for preliminary direction to hire architects and proceed with design work for phase 2 of JB Young Children's Village — a project estimated at about $5,800,000 to renovate first‑floor classrooms, upgrade plumbing and HVAC, add a fenced playground and create secure pick‑up/drop‑off circulation. Presenter Josh said the figure is a preliminary budget and that the district plans to hire Bray Architects to begin detailed drawings and community engagement.
"The budget's looking around... 5,800,000, I believe," Josh said while walking trustees through room plans, playground separation and security measures. Staff said major costs include plumbing, ADA upgrades and HVAC improvements, and that the district is considering reusing or replacing furniture and technology depending on condition.
Finance staff presented a five‑year projection for FY27–31 that showed an anticipated drop of about 300 certified students beginning in 2028, staff FTE reductions (a projected net loss of 16 teachers in 2027), an existing special‑education deficit of roughly $9,000,000 with a target to manage it toward $8,000,000, and the end of one‑time grants such as ESSER that will reduce miscellaneous income. The presenters cautioned that the district’s capital-projects fund will draw down as bond proceeds are spent and that legislative changes to SAVE revenue (local sales‑tax collections used for capital) could affect future project capacity.
Trustees asked detailed questions about security (separate preschool entry and fenced playground), how community services on the first floor would be relocated, whether furniture and technology would be reused and whether HVAC work would require a systemwide upgrade. Staff said the first‑floor space users have been given ample notice to relocate and that preschool enrollment counts are shown separately from the certified enrollment forecast.
The presenters emphasized community engagement and an iterative design process: the board asked staff to proceed to hire architects and return with detailed cost estimates and designs for future board review. Trustees were scheduled to review budget projections again on April 13 and April 27 as the district finalizes assumptions and potential tax‑asking decisions.
Next steps: Hire architects for JB Young phase 2, continue community engagement and return with refined project budgets and timelines; finance staff to continue refining the five‑year model and present options at upcoming finance meetings.
