Benicia Unified School District trustees last week approved a list of projects to tackle using funds from a voter-approved bond measure. The list was submitted by Chief Business Official Tim Rahill and was approved 3-1, with Trustee Peter Morgan voting against and Trustee Andre Stewart absent.

Benicians voted in June to approve Measure S, which will provide $49.6 million in bond funding to be used for school facilities districtwide.

The plan submitted by Rahill is for the funds to be issued in three series, A, B and C. The Series A funds of $20 million were issued in November and are deposited in a separate county bond fund for Measure S projects.
Series B and C are expected to be issued in 2018 and 2020, Rahill told trustees.

“With each series we will be doing work at all seven school sites,” he said. “During the course of the bond, as new information is available, possible funding sources through grants or otherwise could impact which series those projects get done, or whether or not those projects are able to be funded through another source.”

Projected Series A funding is $10.6 million for health and safety; $2.9 million for modernization and technology; $2.2 million for infrastructure; and $4.3 million for support facilities.

“Most of the health, safety, and security projects are in the Series A at $10.6 million,” Rahill said.

Rahill explained the breakdown of how the first funds will be spent. Among the chief expenditures in Series A:

• $4.9 million to make safe the bleachers, track and field at the high school;

• Another $2.5 million for high school athletic support facilities;

• Replacement, installation and upgrades of fire alarms, bells, clocks, intercoms and phones districtwide;

• Repair or replacement of leaky roofs on the schools;

• Renovation of plumbing systems;

• Replacement of old furniture, equipment and vehicles;

• Energy and water efficiency planning;

• $1.2 million for multi-use rooms at all schools, including the high school Performing Arts Building.

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