District staff outline 5-year capital plan, technology investments and draft revenue for 2026–27

The Finance Committee reviewed proposed capital and technology spending and a revenue draft for fiscal 2026–27 at the Dec. 4 meeting.

Facilities staff presented prioritized projects for the coming year that include elevator upgrades at McGowan and Swartz, water-heater replacement at Wilson, HVAC unit replacements at Crestview and North Dickinson, casework replacements in the Crestview art room, district signage updates to reflect new branding and miscellaneous planning costs. Athletic facilities will include rekeying and hardware improvements to streamline access and security across venues.

The technology capital plan shifts previous infrastructure allocations (recent backbone upgrades reduced near-term needs) toward increased AV and auditorium upgrades and classroom front-of-room equipment that support instruction and staff collaboration. The technology director said a redundant core data center was completed recently and that the district anticipates finishing remaining site upgrades by April 1, 2026, improving reliability and reducing the risk of future outages.

On revenue, the business office presented a draft showing projected total revenue of roughly $117.1 million for 2026–27 with approximately 63% local dollars (real estate taxes, earned-income tax), about 35% state support, and a smaller federal share. Key local assumptions included a real estate millage of 17.3639 mills, an earned-income tax rate of 1.1%, and an assumed collection rate of 96.7%. Staff noted earned-income collections through September–November were 7.1% higher year-over-year. State budget outcomes in February will determine final allocations; administration is recommending a budget adjustment for 2026 that applies increased state revenue, reduced investment-income estimates and charter-school expense updates to close a previously projected $563,000 gap without drawing on reserves.

Committee members asked for refinement of figures prior to formal approval; staff will return with green-box budget numbers and proposed procurements in two weeks and expect to present final budget actions in May–June under the district’s timeline.