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Board approves renovation funding for Windfield Farm School program, staff says contract limits keep increases to about 3–4%
Summary
The Linden Board approved a roughly $385,000 renovation for the Windfield Farm School program funded from the district's capital reserve and heard that the vendor contract includes renewal terms that staff said limit increases to roughly 3–4% in the second term, providing cost certainty over 10 years.
The Linden Board of Education approved funding for a renovation tied to the Windfield Farm School program and confirmed contract renewal terms that staff said will limit future price increases.
Board members discussed "Resolution 7," described in meeting materials as supporting the program at Windfield Farm School. A board member raised concern that, without renewal protections, a vendor "could double our cost in 5 years," prompting a staff response that the contract includes renewal terms. "So we are, have a pretty much a cost certainty for the 10 years," a staff member said, noting the contract set an increase of about "3 or 4%" in the second term.
The board was told the renovation figure in the materials is approximately $385,000 and that the district will pay from its capital reserve rather than from general tax revenues. Staff framed the project as allowing the district to add six classrooms without incurring what would otherwise be a multimillion-dollar construction bill: "this method that we're utilizing here is allowing us to add 6 classrooms without spending $2,000,000," a staff member said. The presentation included an example cost frame of roughly $600 per square foot for classrooms of about 800 square feet.
Board members also discussed near-term operating equivalents: one member summarized the first-year cost if the renovation and related expenses were divided monthly as roughly $12,000; staff said ongoing annualized costs would be closer to $5,000 a month in future years, and that additional line-item costs were not fully reflected in the single summary figure.
The finance committee presented items 1–8 for approval and the board approved them by roll call. The committee and staff characterized the renovation as coming from the district capital reserve, not from program operating funds.
What happens next: The board approved the funding and related motions; staff will proceed under the contract terms described at the meeting.
