By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489's five-year capital outlay plan includes a number of items that will help complete the ongoing bond projects in the district.
The Hays USD 489 board heard updates to the five-year plan at Monday night's meeting.
Superintendent Ron Wilson said district officials knew they would incur expenses as students and staff move into the new buildings. They have been planning and budgeting for those expenses.
Wilson said the district has enough funds to cover the expenses outlined in the capital outlay plan, with contingency funds built in.
He said the district has been renting facilities, and now that it will have its own facilities, it needs to purchase items to equip those facilities.
The estimated expenditures from this year's capital outlay fund are almost $6.4 million.
The new Hays High School is set to be completed in August. The district anticipates moving the middle school into the current high school building in January 2026.
Items for the new Hays High School
• 13th Street improvements/access-$ 763,450 (This is the district's share of the project, which is split with the city of Hays.)
• Residential appliances-$ 30,000 (This includes things such as refrigerators for labs that need to be replaced.)
• Athletic Training Room equipment-$50,000
• Kiln-$18,000 (The existing outdoor kiln will remain for use by Hays Middle School.)
• HHS tennis courts-$665,200 (This project has already been approved by the board. It will include the addition of four new courts and the reconditioning of the existing four courts at HHS.)
• Competition score/video boards-$750,000 (This will include boards for both gyms in the new high school, a football video scoreboard and a softball field scoreboard.)
• Score table for basketball-$60,000
• Wrestling mats-$46,000
• Digital marquee-$100,000 (to be located on 13th Street)
Items for the new Hays Middle School
• Student lockers paint and refresh-$75,000
• Bathroom and concessions at HMS field-$753,700 (This project has already been approved by the board.)
• Glazing-$30,000
• Seed practice field-$15,000
• Middle school remodel phase one-$150,000 (This will include adding restrooms near the E-building and remodeling some office space in the locker rooms for PE teachers. Wilson said most of this work will be done by district staff.)
• Woodshop dust collection system-$20,000 (Most of this work will be done by staff.)
Board member Derek Yarmer said he knew the capital outlay five-year plan is a fluid document, but he expressed concerns about the difference in the budget for Hays High and Hays Middle schools between last year and this year.
"What you had for 24-25 last year was $665,000, and now it's $2.4 million for the current Hays High. There was not any money allotted for anything for Hays Middle, and now it's $1 million," Yarmer said.
He added, "It seems like we have no budget."
Wilson said the district has a budget and enough revenue to fund all the projects listed in the capital outlay plan.
He said district officials now have a better idea of the needs as students and staff get closer to moving into new and renovated buildings.
"Chris (Hipp) and I have put a lot of hours into this and talked to a lot of people," Wilson said. "We really feel this gives all of our students and staff everything they need to have success in the classroom and on the athletic fields."
Yarmer was also critical of the $100,000 budgeted for the digital marquee.
"I still think there are things in capital outlay that are wants and not needs. Until all of the buildings are where they need to be, I don't think I would support some of the indulgences like the marquee, for one," Yarmer said.
The district has budgeted $30,000 to replace the roof over the music room at the current Hays Middle School.
$33,000 has been budgeted for asbestos removal at O'Loughlin Elementary School. $30,000 has been budgeted for tuckpointing, glazing and caulk at Roosevelt Elementary School, and $15,000 has been budgeted for grass seeding.
Work is set to start soon on an addition and renovation of O'Loughlin Elementary School. The current middle school will become Felten Elementary School with an anticipated move-in date of summer 2026.
2025-26
Next year, the district has budgeted $250,000 for a softball field grandstand and press box and $140,000 for final grass seeding at Hays High School.
Projects at the new middle school
• Grandstands and fencing at game field-$160,000
• Moving expenses-$10,000
• Signage update-$50,000
• Classroom/bathroom renovation-$200,000
• Furniture-$150,000
• Roof (cafeteria to library) phase one-$270,000
Felten Elementary School projects
• Playground re-location upgrades-$150,000
• Signage update-$50,000
• Room renovation-$300,000
• Equipment and furniture-$175,000
• Asbestos removal-$175,000
O'Loughlin Elementary School
• Equipment and furniture -$100,000
• Electrical service upgrade-$70,000
• Playground upgrades-$100,000
Once Felten Elementary School is opened, Wilson Elementary School is set to close as a school. The district plans to close Rockwell Administration Center and relocate administrative offices to the former Wilson school.
The district has budgeted $900,000 for Wilson renovations in the 2026-27 school year.
In addition to bond-related projects, the district budgets each year for debt service, operational expenses and districtwide expenses.
The debt payments include those for Early Childhood Complex, HVAC, lighting and turf projects. Starting in 2025-26 the district will have payments to Enterprise for the maintenance of its vehicle fleet.
The last payment on the Early Childhood Complex project, which is almost $216,000 per year, will be in 2027-28.
Operations expenses include costs for the bus replacement plan, technology replacement, food service equipment replacement, buildings and grounds, and instructional equipment.
The district has budgeted funds for ongoing sidewalk repairs and the final conversion to electric locks across the district during the next two years.
In 2025-26, the district will begin a yearly contract with Glassman Corporation to maintain its HVAC systems, costing about $100,000 annually.
This was only a review of the capital outlay plan, and no action was taken.
In other business
The board heard a report on a new state law allowing schools to keep medication, such as EpiPens, on hand. Jessica Roe, lead district nurse, said she thought stocking EpiPens would result in waste.
The district's policy is to give Benadryl first in the case of an allergic reaction and call 911. Local ambulances carry EpiPens. Families also provide EpiPens for most children with known severe allergies.
The board chose not to stock EpiPens or any additional medications at this time.
The board approved the renewal of contracts for building-level administrators. Hays High School Assistant Principal Lance Krannawitter has announced his retirement as of the end of the school year.
The board approved a contract to extend electrical service to O'Loughlin Elementary School to serve its addition.
The board approved a notice to the Kansas Legislature on the sale of Lincoln Elementary School.
