Tonight’s board meeting was 6:30 – 10:30, so 4 hours, but I did a 30 minute pre-meeting and a 30-minute post-meeting, so I’m going to say 5 hours of board work tonight. The board (including me) unanimously passed funding Project 2 with a combination of fund balance, debt certificates, and private donations.
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For more information, here’s the D200 e-mail sent out tonight, which I am too tired to fix the formatting on:
“Board approves no-referendum funding plan for Imagine OPRF Project 2
New facilities to break ground in summer 2024, with completion in summer 2026
At its regular meeting this evening, the Board of Education unanimously approved funding the $102 million cost of Imagine OPRF Project 2 with a combination of cash reserves, philanthropic donations, and debt certificates. The funding plan does not require a referendum and clears the way for the project to break ground in summer 2024.
Project 2 is part of Imagine OPRF, the district’s five-phase, long-term capital projects plan. It will replace the physical education wing at the southeast corner of the building, most of which was built in 1928. The new facility (which does not include any work on the Fieldhouse) includes:
A 25-yard x 40-yard pool and spectator balcony
Larger, flexible, multi-use gyms that can serve as a competition space and replace small, limited use gyms
All-gender locker rooms for gender non-conforming students, as well as boys and girls locker rooms
Performing arts dressing rooms (boys, girls, and all gender)
An elevator that complies with accessibility requirements
A multi-purpose/dance gym
A weight room
Boys locker rooms
Girls locker
PE classrooms, PE and athletics offices, PE equipment storage and a conference room
Improvements to the performing arts green room
Costume shop/storage, prop shop/storage
An expanded treatment room for athletic trainers
Student commons and pre-function space
Green roof to manage stormwater runoff
‘Every student deserves safe, modern PE classrooms that meet the needs of 21st century learners, and I’m thrilled that this project is moving forward,’ Board president Tom Cofsky said. ‘Our PE spaces are classrooms where 300-400 students receive instruction every single period of the school day. More than any other instructional spaces in the building, our Physical Education facilities serve all students every day, regardless of academic ability, race or ethnicity, gender, or income status.’
During the past several months, the district’s Community Finance Committee (CFC) vetted five different scenarios for funding the cost of the project, moving three on to the Board for final consideration.
Two of the options required the community to vote on whether to issue referendum bonds; approval would have added a debt-service levy to property tax bills on top of the regular annual levy. Going to referendum also would have meant a year’s delay in launching the project, increasing the estimated cost to $108 million.
The option that the Board approved involves borrowing $45.3 million in debt certificates, which do not require a referendum nor create an additional tax levy. Instead, the debt certificates will be repaid from the district’s annual operating budget in annual increments of $3.5 million over a period of 20 years. The funding plan also includes $44.2 million from cash reserves and $12.5 million in donations raised by the Imagine Foundation. Construction will begin in summer 2024, with an expected completion date of summer 2026.
For more information, visit https://www.oprfhs.org/about/facilities.”