FNF Committee reviews FY27 capital projects list; $26M in GO bond proceeds, HVAC and turf replacements highlighted

Bob Grant, the district presenter, told the FNF Committee on April 13 that the projected FY27 capital projects list will be finalized for board approval on May 12 and is available in a dashboard on the operations and IT webpages.

Grant said the district expects about $26 million in GO bond proceeds for FY27 and that $6 million of that total is earmarked to repay the fund balance previously used to purchase student devices. He summarized results from a March 31 facility condition assessment that identified roughly $185 million in district facility needs, with about $14 million classified as current-year needs and approximately $44 million marked as immediate FY27 needs.

Those FCA findings shaped the draft FY27 list, which combines recurring maintenance (for example, student laptop replacements, fencing and auditorium seating) with time‑bound, one‑time projects. Grant said about $4.5 million is proposed for HVAC work in FY27, including full replacements and upgraded controls at two schools and boiler/chiller work at another, with remaining funds reserved for unexpected unit failures.

Among the 51 project requests, Grant highlighted several large or high‑priority items: a $6 million repayment to the fund balance, a phased turf‑field replacement program with AC Flora as phase one (estimated at $1.5 million), a $650,000 playground replacement program to replace one to three elementary playgrounds per year depending on funding, and a $750,000 project to extend a concrete pad to support a CDL testing program at Haywood Career Center. He said donors have expressed interest in helping the CDL program but cautioned the $750,000 figure is an estimate that could change if additional work is required.

Grant also described technology and security upgrades on the list: firewall hardware and storage area network replacements approaching end‑of‑life; replacement of three auditorium projectors at Eau Claire, Dreher and Lower Richland; and a phase‑two camera system upgrade for the Eau Claire cluster. He added a separate $155,000 request to install GPS tablets on 42 district‑owned buses so parents can use the tracking app; Grant said state‑owned buses already have GPS installed by the state, which is why some routes currently appear in the app and others do not.

On camera retention and incident requests, Grant explained that bus and camera recordings are motion activated and retained according to activity levels; higher activity can shorten the retention window because new footage overwrites older files. He said the district recently updated its standard operating procedure for pulling and holding video in response to parent or administrative requests.

Committee members pressed for details on several points. A commissioner asked when AC Flora’s turf was last fully replaced; Grant said installation dates and usage histories are included in each project’s detailed scope in the May 12 board packet. On procurement, a commissioner asked whether turf work had been sole‑sourced; Grant replied the original turf installations were bid and not sole‑sourced. Questions about per‑field base repairs explained why cost estimates vary across fields.

Committee members also raised local priorities beyond school sites: Lion Street, a district office facility, was called out for needed painting, windows, bathroom and accessibility work to help retain staff. Weston and Grant acknowledged district‑level facilities rank among the worst in the FCA prioritization and said they will revisit Lion Street needs as part of ongoing strategic planning.

Grant said the board packet for the May 12 meeting will include standardized, detailed project scope sheets (about 51 requests) so committee and board members can review materials and the estimates that support each request before formal approval.

The committee thanked Grant and Melvin Henry for their work and transparency. The FNF Committee adjourned after the presentation and Q&A session.