Central office back on the agenda
A new central office building for the San Marcos CISD returns to the district board of trustees’ agenda Monday night.
The board is slated to discuss and take action on authorizing the administration to “initiate action in relation to the relocation of the central office building at the Suttles location.” The board has been looking at district property located at the intersection of Suttles and Hunter Road as a potential location for a new central office building. Architects have presented plans for a new office, including renderings showing how a location at Suttles and Hunter Road could be expanded in the future. The board had also considered rebuilding an office at the site of the previous central administration building on South LBJ Drive. The district abandoned the old central office building after problems with mold and other air quality issues were discovered. Since then, the district has been renting space at the Old Mill business park on Mill Street. The district determined that renting long-term is not a sustainable or desirable option. The district has budgeted $4.5 million for a new central office.
In related business, the board is set to rescind action taken Feb. 18 regarding the construction of the central office “and other matters related thereto.”
Monday was supposed to be the date for a public hearing regarding the fate of the old Bonham Elementary campus, which previously served as the “Mexican School” in San Marcos. In March, trustee Miguel Arredondo had proposed giving the old Bonham campus, located in the same block as the site of the old central office, to Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos. Centro and the School Fuel program, which provides bags of food for SMCISD children in need to take home, also uses space in the old school. However, Arredondo later took the offer off the table and the district canceled the public hearing. At the board’s March meeting, Arredondo noted that someone had asked what it would take for some of the trustees to be more comfortable with making a decision about the central office, and those trustees had said they wanted reassurances about the future of Centro and the district’s property on LBJ Drive.
In other business Monday night, the board is set to approve a guaranteed maximum price for renovations at Miller Middle School and consider the approval of additional positions for the 2019-2020 year for Rodriguez Elementary, the district’s newest campus.
Trustees are also slated to go into closed session to discuss administrator contract renewals and extensions, modifications to the superintendent’s employee contract and other matters.
The board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in Classroom 11 at San Marcos High School, 2601 Rattler Rd. SMCISD board meetings are also streamed online on the district’s YouTube channel.
