The joint committee reviewed a district facilities inventory that rates school buildings across multiple systems and identifies urgent and poor‑condition items, and it approved schematic design funding for initial planning.

School Finance Director Sean Mangano (reporting to the committee) and Superintendent Anthony Soto discussed a heat‑map inventory comparing 2019 conditions to current status. Soto said recent investments and city support have changed many previously poor ratings to good, that some buildings still show urgent needs (for example, windows and roof work at Central Supply and a generator at Lawrence), and that schematic design funds of roughly $500,000 were approved by the committee’s finance subcommittee to move design work forward for several projects.

Soto described how the district intends to pursue multiple funding sources — MSBA, IVAC grants, ESSER funds, Community Development Block Grant and CPA funds — rather than rely solely on the general fund. He said a recent IVAC grant allowed the district to avoid an emergency full boiler replacement at McMahon and to repurpose funds for other repairs. The district’s capital plan will be presented to the school committee and used to prioritize projects over a five‑year horizon.

The committee also revisited headquarters options. Committee members recalled a previous review of a downtown building (previously discussed at a purchase price of $850,000) that later appeared at auction with a minimum bid of $150,000. A speaker noted the building was later purchased by private owner Eric Shore for about $660,000. Superintendent Soto said he prefers to study options before pursuing a move; the Metcalfe working group recommended exploring whether some central office functions could move to Dean once that campus has space freed by program moves. Soto asked whether the city council wants the district to study consolidating central office into city‑owned or district sites; several councilors urged an accelerated timeline for an updated study and a consultant‑driven analysis of options.

Committee members thanked district staff for proactive facility maintenance and for pursuing outside grant funding. The committee recorded items 7 and 8 as complied with and asked the superintendent to return with a capital plan and, if requested, a consultant‑driven study of headquarters options that considers city‑owned buildings and program impacts at Dean.