Charles City school superintendent proposes $1.1 million CIP for FY15-16

As part of a plan to revamp facilities and technology for Charles City’s school system, superintendent of schools David Gaston presented a $1.1 million proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for FY2015-16.

Gaston presented the plan during a Jan. 12 school board work session, with feedback received during the board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday night. The proposed CIP is part of a recommended $6.1 million overhaul to bring facilities up-to-date by FY2020-21.

“This document projects our needs and projects over the next five years,” the superintendent said. “It will be joined with the county’s document to provide everyone with a comprehensive overview of our projects for planning and anticipated costs.”

Topping the list for the FY2015-16 proposed CIP is replacing approximately six school buses at $90,000 apiece ($540,000 total). Gaston acknowledged at previous meetings that the deteriorating conditions of the buses along with the aging fleet made the need to replace the buses a top priority.

“We want to make sure our students have safe and adequate transportation to and from school facilities, trips, and extracurricular activities,” Gaston commented. “It is also a state mandate to replace them every 15 years.”

Another part of the $1.1 million CIP proposal is a one-to-one technology initiative. Totaling $309,000, the initiative focuses on providing each student a laptop to complete coursework.

Other recommendations by the superintendent include replacing a cooling tower at the elementary school ($91,867), replacing elementary heating boilers ($66,585), improving the high school common areas ($98,152), and upgrading maintenance vehicles and snow removal equipment ($24,800). Overall, the FY15-16 proposed school’s CIP comes in at $1,131,304.

Several items are listed for fiscal years beyond FY2015-16. Among the most notable items include classroom renovations to the elementary school ($458,017 over a four-year period), Internet server replacements ($563,496), additional renovations to the high school commons area ($673,374 over a five-year period), parking lot repairs for drainage ($184,000), water storage tank replacement ($164,200), renovations to high school classrooms ($646,494 over an expected period of six years beginning in FY2019-2020), athletic field renovations ($66,310), and high school track replacement ($159,181).

Gaston added that the importance of the $6,089,896 recommended for projects is to prepare for students’ needs in years to come.

“This CIP will provide a tool for both the county and school leaders to plan for needed upgrades, additions, and replacements,” the superintendent commented. “All our needs are combined into this one document based on a five-year projection.”

By category, $3,230,403 of the proposed CIP over the next five years is designated to facility upgrades. Technology is expected to cost $1,689,493 over that period, with transportation having a $1.17 million impact. Gaston expects annual costs for the CIP process to range between $817,880 to $1,131,304.

A public hearing for the proposed CIP is scheduled for Feb. 17, 7 p.m. School board members may take action that evening and adopt the proposal.