Alachua County Public Schools (ACPS) staff will work to create a capital work plan after the School Board of Alachua County (SBAC) approved the item brought up by Board Member Tina Certain on Tuesday. The amended item will include progress updates on the district’s capital improvement projects, but not yet a plan for the future, which the board agreed would be better worked on with a strategic plan. 

Certain told the SBAC that both state law and board policy require a five-year capital work plan to clarify what work will be prioritized, and how it will be financed. 

Voters approved the Half Cent for Schools tax in 2018 to provide funding for “modernization of classrooms, science labs and other spaces; technology; elimination of portable classrooms; new construction; land acquisition and improvement; and other school facilities projects.” 

In 2019, the school board approved a plan that was unrealistic and rushed, according to Suzanne Wynn, director of community planning and concurrency. 

The half cent funds have gone to projects like revitalizing Westwood Middle School and plans for Littlewood Elementary School. Superintendent Shane Andrew said Littlewood and Westwood alone are expected to take most of the projected sales tax funds for the present fiscal year. Next year’s half cent funds are expected to be about $25.5 million. 

Certain’s recommended action is a plan detailing progress toward the original Half Cent Sales Tax Project List from 2019, including original budgets and completion dates. She said she wanted to see what projects had been completed, and how the expenditures had differed from the original budgets. She also asked that the plan include recommendations for a process and timeline to update the project list. 

Board Member Leanetta McNealy asked that the work plan be delayed until after the district has gotten through its rezoning and strategic plan efforts. 

Andrew said staff has been planning to work on the capital improvement plan, but had hoped to finish rezoning first, thinking to include the work plan as part of the strategic plan. 

Andrew also pointed out that the quarterly meetings of the half cent sales tax oversight committee are open to the public and encouraged anyone interested to attend the next one at 4 p.m. on Dec. 11. 

“Facilities planning is part of strategic planning, and it’s part of rezoning,” Certain said, thanking the superintendent for his update but asking that the plan be put in writing. “I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for something to be prepared.” 

Certain said the plan would be good for both the board and public to have, and that it could be integral to the strategic planning process. 

Board Member Sarah Rockwell asked that the item be amended to include only the completion and progress of existing projects and the existing work plan from 2019, delaying a plan for future projects until the district’s strategic plan is in place. Certain agreed to the change, and the board voted unanimously to direct staff to have a plan ready to present in January.