District presents 5‑year capital plan and updated impact‑fee study; consultant recommends phased increases up to statutory limits

District staff and an outside consultant presented the 2026 five‑year capital‑improvement plan and a new impact‑fee study to the board on June 2.

Mr. Dumis, executive director of facilities, said the CIP prioritizes asset preservation and staged funding for large projects including the Northport High campus refresh, Sarasota Middle reroof, STC phase three, Alta Vista HVAC replacement, Oak Park roof replacement and a Sarasota High performing‑arts master plan. He emphasized that many growth projects were moved into years 6–10 in response to declining district enrollment and revenue timing.

Budget director Miss Curtner summarized revenue assumptions (conservative millage forecast, county sales‑tax outlook and cautious impact‑fee receipts). External consultant Carson Vice of Tishler & Vice described the impact‑fee methodology, citing district‑level student‑generation rates (single‑family: 0.185 students per unit) and construction‑cost inputs derived from local projects. Vice calculated a higher maximum supportable fee than the district currently charges and explained statutory phasing constraints: a fee increase up to 25% must be phased over two years; increases between 25% and 50% must be phased over four years; increases above 50% require a special 'extraordinary‑circumstances' public process.

Vice said the maximum supportable single‑family fee before legislative phasing would have been substantially higher (the study produced a theoretical maximum around $10,545 per single‑family unit) but recommended pursuing a statutorily compliant phased increase to the allowable cap while continuing four‑year study updates. Board members urged careful public outreach, questioned timing for high‑school capacity east of I‑75 and requested further modeling showing how phased increases would fund specific projects.