Operations committee approves recommended FY26–27 capital projects, sends measure to full board

The Stamford School District operations committee on Tuesday voted to forward a package of capital projects to the full board, recommending $26,175,000 in long‑term capital and $3,165,250 in short‑term capital for fiscal year 2026–27.

The resolution, read into the record by a staff member as “Resolution 84: be it resolved that on the recommendation of the superintendent of schools the Board of Education accepts the recommended capital projects for fiscal year 26–27 for $26,175,000 for long‑term capital and $3,165,250 for short‑term capital per the attached list,” passed by committee consent and will appear on the board agenda for final action.

Why it matters: The package targets building life‑safety and accessibility work, major roof and envelope projects, HVAC upgrades, flooring abatement, athletic‑field work and security equipment. Staff said the plan is guided by the district’s 2022 long‑term facilities report and aims to prioritize work that improves occupant safety, accessibility and sustainability.

Catherine, the district’s facilities presenter, walked the committee through the list and described four guiding goals: “life safety, accessibility, weatherproofing, and sustainability,” and identified example projects that include fire‑alarm and electrical switchgear upgrades, roof replacements and indoor‑air‑quality work. She noted some items are eligible for reimbursement under state programs and competitive incentives.

Mike Smith, the district facilities lead, described the building management system (BMS) work as a central control upgrade that allows district staff to schedule equipment, monitor occupancy and receive proactive maintenance alerts. “It’s the central control system for all the HVAC equipment that’s distributed throughout the building,” he said, adding that payback times vary with equipment condition.

Key projects called out by staff included a recurring school security/infrastructure line ($700,000), a $100,000 HERO action/asbestos response fund, athletic field resurfacing (a $1.5 million allocation in the prior year plus an additional $1.0 million request for Boyle Stadium), an AIT high school exterior envelope project ($1.4 million), gymnasium HVAC ($750,000), a $3.0 million flooring abatement (noted as eligible for grant reimbursement), and a series of roof and masonry projects across elementary and high schools. Staff corrected one packet typo during the presentation: the Northeast Elementary roof replacement is $2,500,000 (not $750,000 as printed).

Funding context and reimbursements: Staff told the committee they anticipate roughly $9,000,000 in potential reimbursements tied primarily to roof projects and other programs. Catherine said the state has recently adopted a reimbursement policy for HVAC projects but cautioned that the HVAC reimbursement process is newer and less certain. On solar incentives, she confirmed the Rogers roof replacement must precede solar installation and said the district has secured a competitive state incentive to help pay for solar at that site.

Technology and security items in the package: Kevin McCarthy presented the short‑term capital list for facilities and security equipment, including $500,000 for facilities equipment (cleaning machinery and trade‑shop gear) and $500,000 for security equipment (security kiosks, radios, environmental sensors and $300,000 to expand and upgrade cameras and supporting network switches). Alex/Alekiah Agman outlined the technology equipment and infrastructure request and said the district expects e‑rate reimbursements that could cover up to 80% of eligible infrastructure depending on free/reduced‑lunch percentages. “We estimate that over 5 years, we will have $3,200,000 to work with,” he told the committee.

Committee questions: Members pressed staff on whether the district should continue to repair aging wings or pursue replacement, especially for Stanford High, and asked for cost breakouts for historic masonry versus roofing at Strawberry Hill. Staff said masonry and roofing interact at historic buildings and recalled a prior $4.3 million request that had been removed from an earlier budget cycle because it lacked a reimbursement path. Committee members also asked for clearer labeling of preliminary estimates in packet materials; staff acknowledged a few early working numbers had been included by mistake and said final estimates are cross‑checked with design firms and grant assumptions.

What happens next: The operations committee counted four members in favor and recorded the measure as committee consent; the resolution now goes to the full Board of Education for final consideration.

Details to watch for at the board hearing include final reimbursement determinations for roof and HVAC projects, a cost breakout for Strawberry Hill masonry work and whether the board reorders priorities between repair and replacement on aging school wings.