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Presenter says referendum defeat would force safety fixes into operating budget, cost taxpayers more
Summary
Officials say a failed referendum would still require safety work (electric, fire alarms, HVAC) but would shift costs to the operating budget, forfeit $11.4 million in grants and delay nine classrooms at L Grant, worsening overcrowding.
Presenter said a defeat of the upcoming referendum would not eliminate the need for safety-related building work but would shift the expense into the district's operating budget. "We would have to find the way to do it in the operating budget," the Presenter said, adding that doing so "would cost the taxpayers more."
The presenter told the meeting that voters had already narrowed the referendum’s scope and reduced the overall price tag after making "their wishes known," and that officials were engaged in outreach to explain why the measure matters ahead of the January 28th vote.
Officials warned one concrete consequence of a failed referendum would be the loss of $11.4 million in grant funding: "the 11.4 million in grant money wouldn't become available," the Presenter said. That shortfall would leave the district to cover safety upgrades and other work from regular operating funds.
Another immediate impact outlined by the Presenter was on classroom capacity: the district would not receive the nine additional classrooms planned for L Grant, which "would mean that we would have to find space for our students that are currently in an overcrowded situation."
The meeting did not record a vote or formal motion; the Presenter framed the remarks as a projection of consequences rather than a definitive plan. The district’s next steps and any alternatives to replace the grant funding were not specified at the meeting.
