Benicia Unified School District trustees heard an update on Measure S projects completed to date and potential projects for the future at Thursday’s school board meeting. The presentation was delivered by Roxanne Egan, the Measure S bond director.

Measure S was a ballot initiative approved by Benicia voters in 2014 to provide $49.6 million in bond funding for projects for the district’s seven schools. The bond funds were initially going to be issued in three series: Series A, B and C. Due to low interest, Series B and C were consolidated into one bond issuance. Series A projects were announced in 2014, and 11 have been completed so far: technology infrastructure upgrades at all the schools, phone system upgrades at all the schools, renovated playgrounds at all the elementary schools, fixing the roofs at Benicia Middle School and Mary Farmar Elementary, fixing the softball field bleachers at Benicia High School, repainting the exterior at Benicia High, installing new camera security systems at all the schools, upgrading the fire alarm system at Benicia Middle, upgrading the IT server and replacing the clocks, bells and PA systems.

Two projects are currently in construction at Benicia High: a renovation of the George Drolette Stadium and fire alarms. The former is expected to be completed over the summer while the latter is estimated to be completed by October, Egan said.

Finally, there are two Series A projects in the planning stages: a modernization of the Benicia Middle campus, which is expected to begin construction in 2018; and fire alarm upgrades at Joe Henderson and Robert Semple elementary schools, which are slated to begin in the summer of 2018.

Egan said the remaining category is future bond projects, which she said are not as well-defined. The district is setting aside $10.1 million for what is labeled as “elementary and/or high school improvements.”

The district has $30.6 million left in its Measure S balance and is currently determining how to use the remaining funds. Included in the remaining balance are planned projects such the fire alarm upgrades— $6.5 million—and the BMS campus modernization— $11.5 million. Another estimate included $10.1 million for elementary or high school improvements.

“We’ve been going through a series of meetings with the steering committee helping us bring together a recommendation that we’ll then be bringing to the board for your consideration and review,” Egan said. “This particular item was discussed at large with the steering committee as to how much to spend at the high school versus the elementary schools. At the last meeting, the group came to a difficult consensus to recommend expenditures of the money at the elementary schools. However, subsequent to that meeting, staff has been working to submit Prop. 51 applications and help acquire additional funding and plans to bring the discussion back to the steering committee when more information is available.”

Other estimates included $400,000 for repairs to Benicia High School’s lower gym floor, $300,000 for alternative education improvements, $100,000 for additional technology and surveillance enhancements, $1.2 million for project management and $500,000 for contingency.

The next Citizen Bond Oversight Committee meeting is scheduled for July 25. Egan said the committee would be working to identify potential future projects and would come back to the board in the fall with a list.

Trustee Peter Morgan requested the district get more information from the community on how the final dollars should be spent.

“It shouldn’t be based upon just who talks the loudest, and those who talk the loudest also shouldn’t be discouraged from participating,” he said. “We need to figure out how to balance those last few dollars in a way that best serves this community.”

“I really would encourage more of a community outreach program to collect broader community feedback,” he added.

Trustee Celeste Monnette asked if there were any meetings the public could come to. Egan said the public could come to the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee meetings, but that committee does not make recommendations regarding which projects get priority. The steering committee, Egan said, does make recommendations but they are generally not public meetings.

“We could consider opening up some of those meetings,” she said.

Superintendent Charles Young also said that the school board meetings are a good public forum.

Lisa Delorifice, a fifth-grade teacher at Mary Farmar, expressed concerns that her school would be left out of the bond issuance.

“The last time we had a bond issue and schools got funded, with change orders and things like that, Mary Farmar ended up getting the leftovers and had very little done to it,” she said.

Delorifice said some portables were being closed off due to mold issues and others were sinking to the point where doors needed to be cut to be opened or closed.

“There’s a lot that needs to be done there, and I just don’t want to be left out because we’re a small school,” she said.

During an earlier public comment period, Jenny Manzo, the parent of a recent Benicia High graduate, expressed that money should go toward fixing the Performing Arts Building, which has been identified as a potential “Priority 2” project under the Facility Master Plan.

“I was in the band program, and I started in 1996,” she said. “I went back with my son in his freshman year, and (the PAB) was exactly the same.”

Manzo cited safety issues, including earthquake hazards and overhead lights without support cables.

“It needs to be redone,” she said.

The board will next meet on Thursday, Aug. 17.