Board reviews facility financing options, compares bonds and sinking fund scenarios

The St. Johns Public Schools Board of Education reviewed multiple capital‑funding scenarios at a March 25, 2026 finance and facilities workshop, including qualified and non‑qualified voted bonds, a hybrid bond option, and a sinking fund. Jesse Nelson, Principal at Baker Tilly, presented comparative projections on tax impacts, interest costs and repayment timelines to help the district weigh funding approaches against prioritized classroom and facility needs.

Board members pressed for clarity on tax burdens and long‑term cost implications for each scenario and asked staff to tie funding options to the district's prioritized project list. The presentation framed the hybrid bond and sinking fund as distinct approaches: bonds carry interest and repayment terms that vary by classification (qualified vs non‑qualified voted bonds), while a sinking fund is a periodic levy that can fund smaller, recurring capital needs without issuing long‑term debt. The minutes note projected tax impacts and interest costs were included for each scenario.

Superintendent Dr. Anthony Berthiaume told the board that a draft community survey will be released in early April to collect public input on whether voters prefer a bond, a sinking fund, both, or neither. The board set a follow‑up Finance & Facilities Workshop for April 27, 2026 to continue discussion. The meeting minutes provided no verbatim quotations; reporting in this article relies on board minutes and staff summaries in the record.