Board trims several CEP items, discusses deferring major HVAC/roof projects and rejects a bond this year

The board reviewed the district’s capital expenditure project (CEP) list and agreed on a set of reductions and deferrals intended to bring the proposed budget closer to default.

Staff highlighted yellow‑flagged CEP items and recommended several line‑by‑line changes. Board members reached directional consensus to remove or delay vehicle replacement and to postpone major items such as elevator modernization and certain fire‑panel work. The board also debated reducing ADA automatic‑door installs from five entrances to two or three; several members urged keeping five to maintain accessibility for students with mobility needs while others favored a smaller initial scope to save tax dollars.

Librarian and small capital adjustments: staff said an $18,000 request for new library furniture at Lurgio can likely be reduced to roughly $5,000 by reupholstering existing pieces; the board directed staff to reflect that adjustment in the next presentation. The board heard facility projections showing roofing and HVAC needs across multiple upcoming years — including a referenced near‑term HVAC package that was described as potentially large — and generally agreed that a district bond for a full HVAC package is unlikely to be floated this year.

Why it matters: CEP changes are the quickest way to reduce the delta between proposed and default budgets because CEP items are typically one‑time expenditures. Board members repeatedly noted that cutting staff positions reduces both proposed and default budgets and therefore does not close the gap between those two numbers.

Next steps: staff will update CEP lines and present the revised proposed budget at the Jan. 15 meeting for final deliberation ahead of the public hearing. The board agreed not to pursue a new bond this year and to continue exploring multi‑year capital-packaging options for large items such as roofing and HVAC.