Hoover school board approves updated $75 million capital plan

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The Hoover school board on Tuesday night approved a plan to spend $75 million on capital projects over the next six years.

The updated plan includes $12 million for theater upgrades at Hoover and Spain Park high schools and $4.5 million for a 10-classroom addition at Bluff Park Elementary in fiscal 2023 and $25 million for a new elementary school predicted to open in the fall of 2029.

The new elementary school is expected to be somewhere in western Hoover, where most of the population growth in the city is taking place.

The capital plan, broken down by year, includes $31.2 million for capital projects in fiscal 2023, $7.4 million for fiscal 2024, $2.98 million for fiscal 2025, $3.92 million for fiscal 2026, $14.8 million for fiscal 2027 and $14.8 million for fiscal 2028.

Chief Financial Officer Michele McCay told the school board she expects to begin fiscal 2023 with about $100 million in the system’s reserves. Thanks to a state bond issue and other state and federal funds for education, the Hoover school system should have to pull only about $8.75 million from its reserves to pay for those $31.2 million in capital projects in 2023, reducing reserves to about $91 million.

The next three years (fiscal 2024-26), with most of the capital projects being routine maintenance projects, the school system shouldn’t have to pull from reserves, McCay said. The bigger impact will come with the elementary school construction, which would drop reserves to $69 million by Sept. 30, 2028, if revenues and expenditures go as planned, she said.

That would still be enough savings to cover more than 5 months’ worth of expenses for the school system, which is about as low as she would feel comfortable going, she said.

Here’s a more detailed look at projected capital expenses each year:

Fiscal 2023:

  • $10 million — New theater at Hoover High
  • $4.5 million — 10-classroom addition at Bluff Park Elementary
  • $2.25 million — Athletic field upgrades at Berry and Bumpus middle schools (to be completed in the summer of 2024)
  • $2 million —Theater upgrade at Spain Park High
  • $2 million — Concessions/bathroom upgrades at Hoover High on-campus football stadium
  • $1.6 million — Transportation building addition
  • $1.5 million — Bus fleet renewal (10-15 buses)
  • $1,328,158 — HVAC conversion at Green Valley and Rocky Ridge elementary schools and Farr Administration Building
  • $1 million — Roofing project at Gwin Elementary
  • $600,000 — New playgrounds at Deer Valley, Riverchase and Trace Crossings elementary schools
  • $600,000 — Roofing project at Brock’s Gap Intermediate
  • $600,000 — New restrooms for Hoover High baseball and softball fields
  • $600,000 — New restrooms for Spain Park High athletic fields
  • $600,000 — Security improvements
  • $565,000 — Mechanical/HVAC upgrade at Gwin Elementary
  • $503,948 — Flooring projects
  • $300,000 — Paving project
  • $300,000 — Light replacements
  • $200,000 — Furniture replacements
  • $200,000 — Painting projects

Fiscal 2024:

  • $2.2 million — Athletic field upgrades at Berry and Bumpus middle schools (second half of work)
  • $1.5 million — Fleet renewal (10-15 buses)
  • $1.4 million — Roofing projects at Rocky Ridge Elementary and Spain Park High
  • $700,000 — HVAC projects at Riverchase Elementary
  • $300,000 — Paving projects
  • $300,000 — Light replacements
  • $200,000 — Flooring projects
  • $200,000 — Furniture replacement
  • $200,000 — Painting projects
  • $200,000 — New playground at Shades Mountain Elementary
  • $200,000 — Replace bleachers at Bumpus Middle

Fiscal 2025:

  • $600,000 — HVAC projects
  • $600,000 — Roofing projects at Rocky Ridge Elementary
  • $400,000 — Furniture replacement
  • $300,000 — Paving projects
  • $300,000 — Light replacements
  • $200,000 — Flooring projects
  • $200,000 — New playground at Gwin Elementary
  • $200,000 — Painting projects
  • $180,000 — Extend canopy at Greystone Elementary

Fiscal 2026:

  • $1.12 million — Architect fees for new elementary school
  • $600,000 — HVAC project
  • $600,000 — Roofing project
  • $400,000 — Furniture replacement
  • $300,000 — Paving project
  • $300,000 — Light replacements
  • $200,000 — New playground at Bluff Park Elementary

Fiscal 2027:

  • $12 million — Begin construction for new elementary school
  • $600,000 — HVAC project
  • $600,000 — Roofing project
  • $400,000 — Furniture replacement
  • $300,000 — Paving project
  • $300,000 — Light replacements
  • $200,000 — Flooring project
  • $200,000 — Painting projects
  • $200,000 — New playground at Green Valley Elementary

Fiscal 2028:

  • $12 million — Finish paying for construction of new elementary school
  • $600,000 — HVAC project
  • $600,000 — Roofing project
  • $400,000 — Furniture replacement
  • $300,000 — Paving project
  • $300,000 — Light replacements
  • $200,000 — Flooring project
  • $200,000 — Painting project
  • $200,000 — New playground at Rocky Ridge Elementary