Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Plan topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Five‑year capital plan presented as Lee County east zone nears elementary capacity
Summary
District staff presented a five‑year capital plan projecting roughly $2.1 billion in capital revenues and warned that growth in the east zone (Lehigh Acres) will push elementary capacity beyond available seats over the next decade; board members pressed on transfers from capital to operating and charter school disbursements.
Sarah Cox, the district’s capital planning lead, told the School Board at its June 9 workshop that the five‑year capital plan currently reflects about $2.1 billion in revenue across multiple sources and anticipates major investments in new schools, remodels, maintenance, safety and technology.
“Right now we are anticipating at this moment about 2.1 billion in revenue in the entire capital plan over the 5‑year period,” Cox said, describing property tax as the largest component, followed by sales tax (a one‑time source that sunsets in December 2028), impact fees and state capital outlay receipts.
Why it matters: district construction and maintenance planning determines where new school seats will be added and how the district balances debt service, transfers to the general fund and charter school capital allocations. Board members focused on the east zone, where enrollment growth is concentrated.
Cox explained the revenue mix and assumptions: property tax projections depend on the property appraiser’s certified taxable values (due July 1) and the FEFP calculations; the sales tax projection accounts for a partial year in fiscal 2029 when the tax sunsets; impact fees are treated as growth‑related and are restricted to pay debt linked to new schools.
The presentation also reviewed debt service and statutory limits. Cox said current debt service projections anticipate about $125.7 million in payments next year, declining as several issuances tied to sales tax proceeds are satisfied. She noted that statute caps the portion of capital millage used for debt service and displayed a multiyear projection showing debt service as a declining percentage of capital millage revenue.
Vince Kuca, director of planning and maintenance, told the board that enrollment projections show the east zone moving into substantial elementary overcrowding as kindergartners flow through grade levels. “The east zone is definitely at a point of over capacity,” Kuca said; his slides showed a multi‑year MGT forecast projecting seat deficits out to 2035–36 if new construction does not keep pace.
Board members asked for specific follow‑ups: counts of students in portables in the east zone; whether new schools (including Alva High School) will be constructed to shelter standards; the status of warranty claims (a chiller plant issue at Franklin Park was reported removed from the program management list and returned to construction for warranty resolution). Staff agreed to provide the requested details.
Cox also reviewed the phased charter school capital disbursement required under recent state law: a phased sharing of the 1.5 mill capital millage that increases over several years (20% in FY24, 60% in FY26, 80% in FY27, 100% in FY28) and stressed the need to model the effect of those disbursements as part of capital budget planning.
What’s next: staff will incorporate certified taxable values when available July 1 into the tentative budget and bring back follow‑up information about portables, shelter design for new schools, and the Franklin Park warranty resolution. The board signaled interest in reducing long‑term reliance on transfers from capital to operating funds.
