The Limestone County School Board unanimously passed the system’s five-year capital plan at the Sept. 26 meeting.

The school system must submit a capital plan to the state every year as a requirement of the Public School Fund, one of the many sources that fund the projects outlined in the plan.

The projects to be completed in 2018, according to the plan, will cost an estimated $3.25 million and include renovations at Ardmore High School, the installation of air conditioning in the elementary gymnasiums at Tanner and Elkmont schools, fire alarms in portable classrooms and renovations to the Career Tech Center. The renovations at the tech center are already 60 percent complete.

In 2019, the plan allows for renovations at West Limestone High School and repairs at Tanner Elementary at a cost of $2.5 million.

However, Superintendent Dr. Tom Sisk said the plan could change.

“We submit the plan to the state with the full knowledge that it may change,” Sisk said. “Each and every item on the plan is subject to approval by the board, so what we actually do may be different from what is listed in the plan.”

During the meeting, Sisk presented an option to the board that would allow the school system to leverage funds from the PSF to provide money for more projects. The last time the board approved leveraging, it was for $7 million from the PSF in 2016.

“That money went to bleachers and gym floors at West Limestone, a partial roof at the Career Tech Center, bathrooms and a football field at Elkmont High, furniture for the two new elementary schools and several other projects,” Limestone County Schools Chief Financial Officer Ann Swanner said, adding that they could have leveraged $1.4 million for every $100,000 out of the PSF this year.

However, obtaining additional funds through leveraging now could pose problems in the future. Tommy Hunter, executive director of Human Resources and Operations for Limestone County Schools, said it was like getting a mortgage on a house.

“Basically, the bank fronts you a large sum of money to do improvements on the house and then you pay it back,” Hunter said. “But with leveraging, we don’t have to send a check to the state. They just deduct it from future PSF funds.”

After more than two hours of discussion, the board elected not to pursue additional leveraged funds. District 2 board member Brett McGill said that although he fully supports the superintendent, he couldn’t justify using leveraged funds for additional projects.

“We want to get our feet back under us and take care of what is on our plate right now before we add anymore projects like the ones suggested by Dr. Sisk,” McGill said.