MGT consultants presenting to Cumberland County Schools on Nov. 1 said a districtwide facility assessment identified about $805,000,000 in deferred maintenance across 85 schools and recommended a prioritized capital plan that the county has framed around a $300,000,000 commitment over seven years.

The consultant team, led by Dr. Lance Richards of MGT, described a comprehensive inventory of 3,672 maintenance and repair items gathered during on-site inspections of roofs, mechanical rooms, tunnels, classrooms and athletic facilities. “We compiled a list of 3,672 items and we prioritized those 1 through 4,” Richards said. Priority 1 items were described as immediate safety or code issues; priorities 2–4 range from near-term to 6–10 years out.

The assessment used three weighted categories for scoring: facility and grounds (60%), suitability and functionality (25%), and technology readiness (15%). Consultants reported that technology readiness was largely green districtwide but that many buildings scored poorly for physical condition and deferred maintenance.

Consultants cited several specific examples. Pine Forest was flagged for a separating exterior wall and water penetration that the team estimated could cost roughly $14–15 million to repair. The report also listed E.E. Smith at approximately $12 million in recommended work within the seven-year prioritization, though consultants said that number would change if the board or county chose a different disposition for that school.

The team described cost-estimating methods that combined RSMeans regional cost data, local recent construction benchmarks and an escalation factor (about 3% per year) for forward-looking estimates. Dr. Richards said the district’s capital needs were tallied as hard costs (construction), soft costs (architecture, permitting, financing) and contingency in the overall total.

County leaders asked the consultants to produce a 7-year prioritized plan framed against a $300 million funding target. “They came back and said, ‘All right, you look at a 10 year plan. Let’s commit $300,000,000 over the next 7 years,’” Richards said. Consultants said the prioritization assumes all current buildings remain in the district inventory unless a different decision is made about a particular campus.

Consultants emphasized phasing to protect local contractor capacity and competitive pricing. Richards said attempting to do too many large projects in one year would strain the market, reduce competition and raise bid prices for both schools and private-sector projects in the community.

The presentation concluded with next steps for public input: the PowerPoint will be posted online Friday and an online survey and Poll Everywhere session were opened for community feedback. Richards reiterated that “no decisions have been made” and encouraged residents to review the posted materials and participate in the survey.

The district and county now must consider the prioritized list against available revenue streams, the timing of projects to preserve market competition and the district’s educational and programmatic priorities before any formal board action is taken.