Action at Tuesday night’s College Station school board meeting included the next projects approved by voters in the November 2013 bond issue.
The board set the guaranteed maximum price for deferred maintenance at College Station Middle School (CSMS) and Rock Prairie Elementary. The total project budget is $2,445,085, which is $304,914 below the project planning amount.
Work at CSMS includes demolition of some existing concrete paving and new concrete paving, regrading topsoil, and installing new storm drainage components, irrigation, and grass sod.
Work at Rock Prairie includes removing vinyl wall covering on exterior walls, repainting walls, and replacing mini-blinds and window sills.
The board received an update on other projects associated with the $83.5 million dollar bond issue. A list, courtesy of CSISD, is below.
Administrators reported on board action taken last month to refinance more than $47 million of existing bonds which had an interest rate of 4.78%. The refinancing was done at an interest rate of 2.24%, which will result in savings of more than $4.7 million over the remaining term of the bonds, which were not extended.
Discussion continued on CSISD’s budget for the 2015-16 school year. Projections now show a budget deficit of $3.4 million, which is down from $3.7 million last month. Any deficit will be covered by the district’s fund balance. Revenue projections were based on a 4% enrollment increase and a 4% property value increase. The board is scheduled to adopt a budget and set the tax rate at the August 2015 meeting.
Click below for comments from CSISD’s Communications Director Chuck Glenewinkel. His visit with WTAW’s Bill Oliver recaps the board meeting as well as the latest from the community committee appointed to look into a possible bond issue this November, along with recent student honors.
Here’s an update of CSISD projects approved by voters in November 2013, in various phases of completion:
• School Safety Upgrades – $3.9 million – Security vestibules have been completed at AMCMS, CSMS, Cypress Grove, Southwood Valley, and Pebble Creek. All CSISD school now have security vestibules.
• Center for Alternative Learning (College View High School) – $15.5 million – Construction is underway at the location which formerly housed the College Station Conference Center. The move-in date for College View High School, Venture, and LEAP campuses is scheduled for December 2015.
• Elementary No. 9 (Spring Creek Elementary) – $20 million – Construction is underway and the move-in date is scheduled for June 2015.
• New Purchasing and Warehouse Center – $7.5 million – In the process of obtaining a building permit from the City of College Station. Move-in is scheduled for December 2015.
• A&M Consolidated High School Renovations – $3.5 million – Construction is currently underway on the areas outside of the existing building. The renovations are scheduled to be completed this summer and include, a new athletics lobby outside the competition gym, replace old sports court with a wood floor, upgrade finishes in locker rooms and restrooms, and replacement of old athletic lockers.
• Renovate and Repurpose Current Warehouse and Purchasing Building – $6.5 million – Design work is currently underway. This project will likely be a sequence of smaller projects processed back-to-back until completion. The primary scope of the project includes, relocation of the district’s primary data server room, increasing meeting and office space, and increasing restroom space.
• Deferred Maintenance – $12 million – Several deferred maintenance projects have already been completed including, Rock Prairie and Creek View renovations, South Knoll partial re-roof, South Knoll gym air conditioning replacement, AMCHS chiller replacement, AMCHS baseball and softball renovations, Rock Prairie air conditioner coil replacement, and Rock Prairie boiler replacement. Additionally, the following projects are yet to be completed: correct CSMS crawl space and drainage issues, Rock Prairie painting, South Knoll window replacement, correct Oakwood grading and concrete paving issues, replace CSMS boiler, AMCMS HVAC work, among other smaller projects.
• Technology – $6.1 million – Several purchases of laptops computers, desktop computers, iPads, security cameras, public address systems, server upgrades have been processed.
• Buses and Vehicles – $3 million – Purchased 30 buses and two box trucks.
• Land Acquisition – $5.5 million – CSISD is in the process of locating and acquiring land for future construction needs.