School District Eyes Many Pricey Capital Improvements

With the school board poised to hold its first hearing on the 2012-2013 budget, administrators are discussing capital improvement projects, the largest of which is the final phase of renovations to .

That project carries an estimated cost of $50 million, with the work not expected to begin until the 2013-2014 school year, according to the district's business director.

Jack Myers recently explained that the physical review stage of a consultant's districtwide capital improvements feasibility study is underway and should be complete early next month.

“I gave them a list of all sorts of capital needs,” he said.

They include:

• removal of about a dozen underground oil storage tanks, with an estimated cost of $250,000
• improvements to secondary school athletic fields
• a new roof at Snyder Middle School, with an estimated cost of $800,000 to $1 million
• moving air conditioning cooling towers from to BHS and replacing the towers with a geothermal field
• installation of a geothermal system at and
• installation of a new heating/ventilation/air conditioning system for the district office building

The upcoming work at BHS would upgrade electrical, mechanical and plumbing infrastructure at the 40-year-old building. Myers said it also will include “physical realignment” inside the school.

“Classrooms of tomorrow may not have to take the same shape and design as today,” he said.

The business director previously explained the district will use a portion of $130 million of debt funding authorized by the school board in 2005, of which only about $30 million has been used.

He also has said the debt funding will be reflected in an estimated $135.50 increase in the local school tax for the 2013-2014 school year.

The pending renovations represent the third phase of high school improvements.

Phase one began around 2003, funded by a 2002 bond used to renovate several district buildings. From 2003 to 2006 the district replaced the high school roof, north side classroom HVAC units, boilers and hot water system, and pool filtration and circulation system, while installing a second elevator and refurbishing the original one, Myers explained. The cost was between $6 million and $7 million, he said.

Phase two was the recently opened $15 million gym along with electrical infrastructure improvements.

The school board will hold its first public work session on the 2012-2013 budget Jan. 11, with final budget adoption slated for June 13. In between, the board intends to adopt a preliminary budget Jan. 25; hold another work session Feb. 22; adopt a proposed budget May 9; and hold a question-and-answer session May 23.