BUDGETING THE BUILD
The many plans for change coming out of the District Office have been picked apart by the community, inspiring hope for these developments, as well as criticism for their “selfish” choices. Delving into the business side, the budget and expense plans that back up these decisions are complex and well-researched, and as they say, “the numbers don’t lie”.
Measure M funding from voters, time, the pool question, and the surprise loss of the Georgia Brown property have pushed PRJUSD into critical financial times and scrutiny, with decisions overseen by the Board of Trustees and Chief Business Officer and Assistant Superintendent Brad Pawlowski.
Board member Joel Peterson explains the difficulty of these decisions, “It’s easy for people to essay these are easy financial decisions, but they are really tough ones that affect families, teachers, and students. The board really weighs all of these factors when making hard decisions.”
In 2016, Measure M was put onto the ballot, a $95 million bond that would be used for the district to upgrade and renovate elementary school needs, as well as building a pool for usage for all students. It received a successful 57.5% voting rate, 2% over the number needed to pass.
With $62 million of bond money so far, the district has rebuilt and re-designed the Glen Speck and Marie Bauer campuses, as well as building a 10-classroom facility at Flamson. Around $33 million remains for the Georgia Brown renovation and pool build.
In 2022, while planning the Georgia Brown re-design, engineers discovered the oft-mentioned seismic anomaly, making the site possibly unsafe by state law and unaffordable to solve at an estimated $200-400K. A seismic solution would have to be completed while the campus is vacant, only giving the small window of summer to complete this project. The district is hesitant to sell this property due to the fact that there may be underlying issues that could cause danger.
The district made the decision to move the Georgia Brown site to Lewis Middle School on February 13, 2024. Additionally, Flamson will become the new sole junior high with around 800 7-8 graders expected in the 2024-25 school year. The old Lewis site is set to be renovated in order to accommodate around 700 K-8 students starting next school year. Portables will be added, classrooms will be refreshed, and additional resources will be provided for the younger grades. These renovations are quoted to be around $9-10 million, leaving ~$20 million in Measure M funds for the pool.
When these changes were originally budgeted six years ago, the district had accounted for both a warm-up pool as well as a regular competition pool. Prefabricated pool tanks and equipment were purchased in 2018 and have sat in storage since. The smaller practice pool eventually had to be sold off in order to have enough money to build the first one. This old plan had totaled $6-8 million, and has since doubled, due to inflation and COVID. The current plan to build a pool facility is budgeted around $16 million, and set to break ground this year on a plot of land on the western side of the PRHS campus.
Now, all of these renovation costs come from the Measure M funds, which is completely separate from the overall PRJUSD budget. The majority of this budget goes to labor: which is paying the salaries of teachers and admin – around 85%. The other 15% is divided between materials, services/contracting, and capital outlay.
Increasing the budget for renovations can be done through many ways, too. One is proposing another bond, similar to Measure M, to keep up with the constant constructions needed in the district,
“We’re going to have a new superintendent … starting July 1st. We also have a board election that’s coming up in November. So there’s going to be some big changes in the face of the district over the next 10 months or so. I think it’s important that we get past those big changes first, before we bring up the idea of another bond,” Pawlowski shared.
Additionally, developer fees, which developers of land have to pay per percentage of square foot, can contribute to this budget. Near the high school, many apartments and houses are being built, which could bring in around $20 million in the next 7-10 years.
The changes facing our district bring many factors to the surface: parents, money, teachers, and of course, the children impacted. Handling them is a delicate process, one that takes careful consideration and many people. However, understanding the financial aspect can simplify and separate the situation.
