Carmel Unified approves $110,000 contract to update facilities master plan to pursue Prop 2 funding

The Carmel Unified School District Board of Education on Monday approved a $110,000 contract with architecture firm HGHB to update the district’s facilities master plan, a step staff said is necessary to pursue certain state matching funds under Proposition 2.

District Superintendent Sharon Ofek told the board that Prop 2 requires a facilities master plan that is current (generally five years old or newer) to qualify for matching funds. Ofek said the district’s 2019 plan is out of date and the HGHB scope includes reviewing prior priorities, confirming current needs and producing updated, current cost estimates.

The board discussed whether the Prop 2 connection and potential bond talk were properly agendized. Board member Rita Patel said she was uncomfortable mixing Prop 2 and bond planning in a single consent item and asked that committee and community engagement precede any bond conversation. Ofek and other board members responded that the HGHB contract is an early, necessary step to identify priorities and costs before any discussions of funding or bond measures.

Board members debated the price. Multiple members described the contract as a planning-stage expense — a fraction of any future construction costs — and said updated cost estimates are necessary before the district could bring bond proposals or funding decisions back to the board. The superintendent and other board members also noted construction-price volatility since 2019 as part of the rationale for updating the plan.

The formal motion to approve the HGHB contract passed on recorded roll call: Board President Jason Remenzi — yes; Board Clerk Jake Odello — yes; Board Member Sarah Hines — yes; Board Member Matt Glaser — yes; Board Member Rita Patel — no. The board recorded the outcome as adopted.

What happens next: staff said the contract will produce a current facilities master plan and cost estimates the district can use to determine whether to pursue Prop 2 or other funding sources. Board members emphasized that any funding decisions (for example, bond measures or a formal Prop 2 application) would return to the board for separate public consideration and action.

Clarifying details: staff said the 2019 plan must be updated to meet Prop 2 eligibility (a current plan is typically five years old or newer). At the meeting staff told the board the district could be eligible to pursue roughly $19 million under a future Prop 2 cycle, but that such funding would be subject to state rules and is not guaranteed; staff said local match requirements apply and specifics would be determined during the application process.

No public comment was submitted on this item prior to the vote.