Meeting Slated on Proposed $57M Capital Projects in Lakeland
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A public forum on the Lakeland School District’s plans to perform $57 million in capital projects is scheduled to be held Thursday, Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Lakeland High School.
The meeting, which is advertised as a question-and-answer session with district officials and the Board of Education, is the second the district has set up to discuss the details of the envisioned infrastructure improvements and state-of-the-art media centers.
District officials have labeled the project “tax-neutral” based on the 64.8 percent state aid it would receive for the projects. Of the estimated $57 million expense, $20 million would come from the district’s capital reserve fund. The remaining $37 million would come from a referendum that residents would vote on Dec. 6.
If the referendum is approved by voters, the district would begin a one-year design phase to determine the final scope of the project. The expected date to put the project out to bid would be next January or February. The anticipated start of construction would be March 2024, with the target date for completion in 2026.
The main thrust of the project, according to district officials when they met with the public in July, is updated technology in common learning spaces such as library media centers to help students in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) subjects.
Thursday evening’s forum will also be live streamed on LocalLive.tv.
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