San Benito High School trustees have tabled prioritizing a list of facilities projects set to be funded with bond money after asking staff officials for a bigger picture view of non-bond projects.
The list of bond projects shared with trustees last week excluded projects financed by the general fund including the new physical education facility and the skylight replacement in the Mattson Gym. The cost of closing Nash Road—a project that might be funded with some bond money—was also left off the list.
“So, there was no decision made at the meeting because we felt we didn’t have the full picture,” said Trustee Evelyn Muro in an interview with the Free Lance this week.
Muro asked to change the topic from an action item to a discussion one during the study session meeting held last week, she said. Trustees will now create a prioritized list of projects for funding with bond money at a study session at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 3 in the high school’s library.
Voters approved the Measure G general obligation facilities bond in June 2014 for $42.5 million. The bond project list shared with trustees last week listed $60.3 million in budgeted costs for more than a dozen line items.
The district is looking at using about $12.1 million in other funds—including deferred maintenance, a capital facilities fund, a county school facilities fund and a special reserve fund for capital outlay projects—to possibly further the work of the bond. That money will put the district at $52.6 million toward the $60.3 million in desired projects.
“That’s where we need prioritization,” said Roseanne Lascano, the district’s director of finance and operations in an interview with the Free Lance. “That is why we need them to tell us exactly what do you want us to do? I mean, which comes first? We know, of course, air conditioning, but then what order do we do everything else?”
Trustees wanted to see everything—not just bond projects—and requested information about the PE facility and the skylight replacement project, the director said. The closure of Nash Road—a bond project—was also not on the list, Lascano said.
A pool would not be on that list, the director said.
“We didn’t put it on because we have no money for it,” Lascano said. “We don’t have money for it right now.”
The district is hoping to secure additional funds if a statewide school facilities bond is approved by voters in 2016, according to several trustees. The district must start work now—before they know whether the bond will pass—to ensure they are eligible for that money, trustees said.
Superintendent John Perales could not be reached for comment before deadline.
Board President Ray Rodriguez added how staff officials will return to the board with a list of non-bond projects and the current master plan, which is a 25-year plan. He stressed the bond was never meant to fund all the projects in the master plan.
The amount available to the district could be about 50 percent of the costs for new construction projects and 40 percent of the costs of renovations, said Trustee Steve Delay in an interview with the Free Lance this week.
