Pekin CSD 303 reviews $2.6 million transportation/maintenance facility plan and bonding options

Director of Buildings and Grounds Tim Bonnette presented a site mockup for a proposed transportation and maintenance facility under the band field that would provide bus parking, a maintenance/office building and employee parking. He said the plan includes two possible access points and an above-ground fuel source would be required.

Bonnette told the committee the project raises site-access and security questions, noting "Coal Miner’s access in and out could be tricky, and there is a level of concern over security." He provided cost and schedule estimates: an "approximate cost of $2.6 million," with drawings intended to be complete by January 2027 to allow bidding and to have the facility in use by July 2028.

Committee members discussed financing options, including issuing bonds. Minutes note that "there is room to bond for the project" and that a hypothetical $3.5 million bond would carry a rate of about ".20 cents." Staff also flagged working-cash bonds as a possibility that "would not require the District to hold a referendum." Members also considered the potential impact of a county school facility sales tax that, if approved, the district estimated could provide about $1.9 million per year toward building and grounds, SRO expenses, and mental-health services.

Next steps recorded in the minutes: refine the design with the architect and engineer, confirm cost estimates, and tie financing choices to the board's broader budget and five-year plan; no formal motion or vote was recorded at the meeting.