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District outlines likely 2027 bond package, cites HVAC, fire‑alarm and ADA needs
Summary
District staff presented facility needs and sequencing that could place high‑school HVAC and fire‑alarm upgrades on a possible 2027 bond (~$33M target for the initial package), described lead testing and accessibility gaps, and warned multi‑summer planning and progressive procurement will be necessary.
District staff used a special meeting to walk the Mercer Island board through a facilities plan and a draft timeline that would put high‑school HVAC and fire‑alarm work at the front of a possible 2027 bond.
Staff framed the package against community feedback from the prior bond effort and listed safety/security, upgrading HVAC and addressing accessibility as top priorities. The district noted the age of many buildings and said lead testing and solar lab monitoring will inform final scopes; staff said schools are subject to a stricter action level (cited in discussion as 5 parts per billion) under recent guidance for public schools and that any flagged sites would be replaced immediately.
On the high school, staff described a partial HVAC replacement that would rebuild air handlers and controls but not necessarily replace all ductwork; full mechanical replacement was described as a multi‑tens‑of‑millions of dollars option. Staff said a staged approach — design and permitting followed by two summers of construction — is the likely path if a bond is placed on the ballot in early 2027. They also flagged a substantial equity problem: several high‑school circulation points are not accessible from the front and the building lacks an elevator between levels.
The district offered an illustrative cost marker in the meeting discussion of roughly $33 million for the initial package, saying the largest single pieces would be HVAC and fire‑alarm upgrades with several million more for ADA and safety/security work. Staff emphasized that costs are preliminary and will be refined with design work.
Board members asked whether a partial replacement would push needed work later or cost more overall if split; staff said careful planning and progressive design‑build procurement can lower surprises but that multiple summers of staged work are probable. The district said it will continue refining cost estimates and return to the board with more detailed project scopes, schedules and tax‑impact modeling before any ballot decision.
