Facility Planning Task Force shares its recommendations with School Board
With its work beginning in November 2024, the district’s Long Range Facility Planning Task Force recently presented its recommendations for consideration by the School Board. The task force consisted of 34 members, which included five community members, 15 parents, 11 staff members and three board members. Consultants from Wold Architects and Engineers also assisted the task force.
The task force did a deep dive into the district’s current facility needs and reviewed data and information in the following categories:
- Existing building data
- Building enrollment and capacity
- Maintenance
- School finance
- Security and traffic systems
- Curriculum initiatives
- Special services
- Activities
- Community use of facilities
The two most critical facility needs for the district are maintenance and physical conditions issues and upgrading safety and security features at district facilities.
While district facilities are generally well maintained, there are several maintenance issues that need to be addressed in the near future, including:
- Mechanical systems
- Roof repair and replacement
- Parking lot repair and replacement
- ADA upgrades (handicapped accessibility)
From a safety and security perspective, district facilities are appropriately equipped, provided that the following needs are addressed:
- Restrict access at front entries at elementary schools and high school
- Add zone lockdowns at all facilities, where feasible
- Replace classroom door locks with more secure lock systems
Funding currently available to the district will not be enough to address all the necessary facility needs. While there are some options to finance facility improvements that do not require voter approval, the most commonly used option is a bond referendum or a capital projects levy, which does require voter approval. Options that do not require voter approval often do not generate sufficient funds to cover all facility improvements.
The board will continue to review the task force's recommendations and is likely to make a decision on next steps in early summer.