SMCISD board approves architectural services contract for central office building

San Marcos Consolidated ISD will move forward with architectural services for a potential new central office building.

During Monday's meeting, the SMCISD Board of Trustees approved a contract with Stantec Architecture Inc. for architectural services for a central office building. SMCISD administrators relocated in late 2017 to a temporary central office location at 631 Mill St. after mold was found in the previous office.

The approved contract consists of a feasibility study, which includes facility assessment and long-range facility plans, recommendations and cost estimates and test fits for an administration building. The contract would also include an administration building project if it receives board approval.

“The board approved Stantec as our architectural services for this project and you authorized the superintendent or his designee to execute a contract. We did that,” said James Barton, SMCISD assistant superintendent of business and support services. “However, the second part of that contract, should there be a project, the fees would exceed $50,000. And the guidance that the district was given by our lawyer, it’s best practice even though they gave you the authority, if it exceeds $50,000, you give (the board) the chance to approve the actual contract.”

During discussion, the board expressed hope that Stantec would examine previous plans and renderings designed by a previous architectural firm — Perkins+Will — for a central office located at the previous location at 501 S. LBJ Dr., or at Mendez Elementary School.

“We have those two sets of plans developed by a different architectural firm,” Trustee Anne Halsey said. “I would hope that the new architectural firm would refer to those plans in some way, shape or form at least in terms of size, scope and feasibility, look to see what’s changed, what hasn’t and use those as a basis for projecting … at least where we start to talk about going forward where we aren’t doubling the work and paying for it twice.”

Barton said the work previously done has been thoroughly reviewed.

“The central office subcommittee has guided Stantec architects through the initial stages by reviewing all of that data,” Barton said. “How much size do we actually need? How much do we want? How many parking spaces are necessary? All of that has been explored so that you can have a feasibility study presented to you in October. There will be no money expended for designing a project beyond that feasibility study until you approve it.”

The trustees unanimously approved the contract with Stantec Architecture Inc.

In other business, the board voted down a reduction in tuition payment for students who pay tuition to attend Bonham Pre-Kindergarten.

Trustee Miguel Arredondo placed the item on the agenda in hopes of eliminating tuition payments for students who pay tuition during the 2021-22 school year.

“When we talk about equity and access to education and we talk about the significance of early childhood education, I don’t understand how we’re not more willing to remove a financial barrier for some of our at-risk students and families,” Arredondo said.

He later modified the amount from full tuition covered to 50%.

The district receives approximately $90,000 in tuition for Bonham Pre-K students, according to Barton.

The motion to waive 50% of Bonham Pre-K tuition requirements failed 3-4 with trustees Clementine Cantu, Margie Villalpando, Kathy Hansen and Mari Salmi voting against it.

Salmi then made a motion to direct the district to investigate ways to make Bonham Pre-K include waivers for staff for free tuition and other equitable solutions to make the tuition on sliding scale or need-base that encourage full enrollment in the program. Salmi’s motion was unanimously approved.

After two lengthy discussions regarding creating a chief medical officer position and establishing a board communications committee, no action was taken on either item.

The trustees’ next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 18 at San Marcos High School — 2601 Rattler Road — inside the Criminal Justice Classroom at 6 p.m.