Board hears status of construction funded by Prop B bond

The San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees received an update on the 2023 Proposition B bond projects involving school renovations at the special called meeting Monday.

According to the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District Proposition B website, which provided $147,724,625 to the district, was related to school bonds for construction, renovation and equipment of school buildings in the district in addition to the purchase of new school buses.

Included in Prop B was a new Mendez Elementary School building. Site management, renovations and improvements for Bonham Pre-Kindergarten, Bowie Elementary, Crockett Elementary, De Zavala Elementary, Hernandez Elementary and Travis Elementary were included in the bond.

Prop B provided funding for Goodnight Middle School site improvements, band and theater additions, and a new PA system. Prop B provided funding for Miller Middle School athletic renovations and additions and a new PA system. For San Marcos High School, Prop B would fund classroom, administration and performing arts additions.

Prop B would also include districtwide safety infrastructure, technology, transportation, electrical and plumbing improvements.

Koleman Uresti, Perkins & Will managing director for the Austin location, said that the discussion would be split in two meetings, so not all district schools were discussed at the Monday meeting.

Uresti said it was critical to ensure that each elementary school received the same improvements.

“We do now have the education specifications that you all approved, so we’re making sure we follow that,” Uresti said. “That really brings equity across the campuses. Making sure that everybody has the same types of spaces.”

Uresti said for the Hernandez Elementary School improvements, the chosen design involves putting in a large bullet-resistant glass window at reception so that the front office can see who is there even if the camera is covered. The conference room will be right next to the front desk so visitors don’t need to go through the campus during conferences.

He said the plan is to address the restrooms next to the cafeteria as well because the contractor said updates were needed like fixing tiles that are coming out of the ceiling and things of that nature. Ceiling tiles in the main corridor will also be replaced. Key card locks will be added to the administrative suite. All five HVAC units will be replaced as well.

Then Uresti discussed the status of improvements for Bonham Pre-Kindergarten, including the removal of the existing softball field and associated infrastructure (previous concession stands and restrooms will remain), relocation of the parent loop to Broadway Street and the addition of a concrete entrance at roadway as required by the city.

At Bowie Elementary, the contractors will be repairing, repaving, restriping and resealing select areas of parking lots and the front loop and adding a concrete entrance at roadway as required by the city.

DeZavala Elementary will receive an additional 30 parking spaces, which would separate the pickup loop from parking and streamline the process. There will be adjustments made for drainage from the parking lot to the existing detention pond.

Travis Elementary will get several improvements to the parking lot and front loop, including repairing, repaving, restriping and resealing select areas.

Uresti said all projects discussed in Monday’s meeting should be completed by August of 2024.