Operations committee flags multimillion-dollar pool repairs, MBIT space questions and vehicle disposal plan

The Centennial School District operations committee on Monday reviewed several facilities and capital topics, focusing on decades-long pool closures that officials say would cost millions to restore and on options to repurpose space, as well as plans to scrap long-unused buses and moves to seek new engineering contracts.

Why it matters: The district faces an estimated $3 million shortfall and recurring retirement costs that limit available capital, forcing leaders to weigh expensive pool restoration against demolition, re-use for classrooms or investment in MBIT (a regional career-technical partner referenced repeatedly at the meeting). The committee voted to forward four consent and action items to the full board for consideration.

Progress on classroom renovations and asbestos abatement: A district presenter said, “Progress has begun on the FCS room transformations … asbestos abatement begins Monday morning,” and that contractors will follow the two-week abatement window to start renovations. Those Family and Consumer Sciences upgrades and other security-camera requests at Davis were among items the committee asked to forward to the board for approval.

Pool repair, demolition and costs: Committee members described middle-school pools that have been out of service for years, with structural problems and obsolete equipment. “The pools would have to be refinished. So that's a significant undertaking if that's something that the board is interested in,” a committee member said, summarizing prior cost estimates and the practical hurdles to returning pools to use. Speakers said prior estimates for full restoration ran into the low millions per pool, while a prior proposal to fill (demolish) pools was roughly $670,000; members weighed whether those funds are better directed to higher-use spaces such as auditoriums.

MBIT capacity and space trade-offs: Members discussed whether closed pool areas could be converted into classrooms or used to host MBIT programs, noting that building out pool space would require major upgrades — new HVAC, plumbing, sprinkler systems and fire-safety work — and that one alternative is building MBIT capacity on MBIT's campus. Staff said growth studies showed limited additional students and cautioned that moving MBIT programs could redistribute enrollment rather than increase total student counts.

Vehicle disposal and reclaiming space: The presenter described a long-standing 'graveyard' of out-of-service buses and equipment at the bus garage and reported three scrap quotes. “Our estimate of reclaiming $8,841,” the presenter said, describing per-pound scrap quotes offset by towing charges; the presenter also estimated about $2,000 for selling an Eager Beaver trailer but noted final sale amounts will depend on MunisBid auction results. The committee supported moving forward with disposal to reclaim yard space.

Engineering services, procurement and technology costs: Staff said an RFP for engineering services was posted May 27 and will close June 24, and asked the operations committee to participate in interviews and evaluation. A technology staff member described annual software maintenance covering about 11 products (from multifactor authentication to Adobe and Skyward) and said the total is large because it aggregates multiple licenses; the staff member said the overall cost is “probably down” from last year and that a precise comparison will be provided later.

Budget context and next steps: Committee members repeatedly noted budget constraints — the chair said the district remains about $3,000,000 behind and that retirement-related recurring impacts could total roughly $1,000,000 next year — framing why costly pool rehabilitation or major new projects would likely need bond financing or re-prioritization. The committee voted to forward four items (including the camera upgrades and facility-use discount) to the full board for consideration and set the next operations-committee meeting for September.

Votes at a glance: Approval of the agenda — approved by voice (motion/second not specified in the record); Approval of minutes — approved by voice; Forwarding of four items to the full board — approved by voice. No formal roll-call tallies were given in the transcript.