St. Paul school district reveals $484 million facilities improvement plan

The St. Paul School District would make over and add to many of its schools — strengthening their position as the "heart of the community" — under a long-awaited $484 million facilities plan presented to school board members on Tuesday.

The five-year package includes a previously announced proposal to build a new East Side middle school and spreads the wealth of new projects districtwide — provided the board gives the go-ahead to the funding needed to pull it off.

Tom Parent, the district's facilities director, said the plan would increase property taxes about $30 per year for the median-valued $151,500 home beginning in 2018.

More than half the $484 million would go to deferred maintenance, including new boilers, roofs, plumbing and electrical improvements. The more dramatic elements — the new entryways and cafeterias, classroom additions, plus other features — are planned for 12 sites and could be in place for the start of the 2018-19 school year.

"We are talking major building renewals," Parent said.

Also part of the plan are $6.5 million in athletic improvements, including new artificial turf fields at Washington Technology Magnet School and Highland Park and Como Park high schools — the latter of which also would receive a remodeled entryway and two-story classroom addition.

The school board is expected to vote on the five-year plan on April 26. The proposal has been in the works for nearly two years and was given a major push by the previous board in December when it authorized the start of design work at six schools, including two of the district's most popular: Adams Spanish Immersion and St. Anthony Park Elementary.

The district set out in 2014 to develop a game plan to solve its building needs over 10 years. The five-year plan advanced Tuesday is to be tweaked annually to take into account enrollment changes and other factors, officials say.

State law does not require the St. Paul district to go to voters for approval of capital expenditures.

That part of the budget also is separate from the general fund, which is seeing pressure in the form of a projected $15.1 million shortfall in 2016-17. Part of it is because of an anticipated drop in enrollment that will not affect facilities planning, according to Parent, but will result in a $1.2 million revenue loss for school operations next year.

The board took its first steps to filling the budget gap Tuesday by agreeing to offer early-retirement incentives for employees who are 55 and older and have worked for the district for 15 consecutive years.

The proposal is expected to save $2.5 million.

The district also is proposing to save $7.5 million by shifting middle schools from seven- to six-period days and cutting back on the amount of time some students spend in science, art and music.

Board Member Steve Marchese said he was concerned about the six-period day costing students an elective. He was uncomfortable, too, he said, with not knowing the full effect of all the cuts. But he acknowledged it was important to set them in motion so that principals and others can begin work on their school budgets.

That process begins Friday with notice from the district to the schools about their budget allocations.

The board is expected to take final action on the overall 2016-17 budget on June 21.

Anthony Lonetree • 612-673-4109