Highlights of 6/18 meeting: Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent’s Facility Advisory Committee

Highlights of 6/18 meeting: Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent’s Facility Advisory Committee

Top facility needs at Lincoln Public Schools continued to emerge Tuesday with an updated version of the 10-Year Facilities and Infrastructure plan presented at the LPS Superintendent’s Facility Advisory Committee final meeting – updates reflecting preliminary top-tier recommendations handed down from the Advisorysubcommittees and totaling more than $460 million.  

The Advisory Committee has also recommended that the next bond issue be funded within the existing bond levy of 16.1 cents, which means the total could only range from $250-290 million. 

Currently the initial, tentative priority recommendations – which will likely be significantly pared down by the Lincoln Board of Education for a potential 2020 bond issue – include: three new elementary schools (in southeast, northeast and northwest Lincoln); two new K-8 schools (in south and northwest Lincoln); two new high schools initially built at half capacity; additional new athletics facilities adjacent to high schools; new turf at existing high schools; expansion of early childhood programs; as well as renovations and infrastructure updates to current schools throughout the community.

LPS Superintendent Steve Joel thanked Advisory Committee members for their exhaustive, creative work.  “I am humbled that you were willing to help us … We live in a community that has the highest of expectations for educational excellence, but also a place where citizens roll up their sleeves to help.”

The Advisory Committee’s final recommendations for top facility and infrastructure needs will be presented at the second Board of Education meeting in August.  Then, Joel said, the Board will analyze facility recommendations, likely trim those recommendations to fit into a $250-290 million bond issue – and pass a resolution in November to float an LPS bond issue in 2020. 

The Facility Advisory Committee is a group of 100 Lincoln stakeholders who have been meeting monthly to analyze long-range facility needs to envision schools of the future and ensure that LPS wisely accommodates student growth into the next 7-10 years. The Board of Education charged LPS Superintendent Steve Joel with the establishment of the Facility Advisory Committee to review the school district’s facility and infrastructure needs, options and priorities.  The Committee is led by co-leaders Maribel Cruz, senior leadership consultant for Talent Plus; and Nick Cusick, president of Bison, Inc. 

For more about presentations, to ask questions, to find a list of Committee members, meetings and resources, go to: https://home.lps.org/sfac/ 

 

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