District approves additions to bond

District approves additions to bond

HUNTER DWORACZYK [email protected]

Before construction for the second phase of Taylor Independent School District’s 2022 bond begins in November, trustees approved some additions to the original plan.

During their regular school board meeting Monday, Oct. 16, two projects were added for Main Street Elementary and one project was added to Taylor High School. The three projects are expected to cost a maximum of $601,730.

“Of course, I’d love to do everything and accept everything,” said Lance Weidler, the district’s director of support operations. “Looking at the totality of the bond, I think the best option for the district as a whole is to go with these alternatives and see where the money comes out at the end.”

Under the motion, which was passed unanimously, the high school will now receive funds to place acoustic panels in its production studio. The alternative costs $11,669.

Both of the elementary school’s accepted alternatives involve classroom improvements. The classrooms will receive new floors at a maximum cost of $428,761 and a new coat of paint at a maximum cost of $161,300.

The three alternatives were recommended by Weidler, who drafted the consent agenda item to match accordingly. Other possible projects were mentioned but not voted on.

One alternative item put on hold was adding LED lighting in classrooms and in other spaces of MSE. In total, this proposal would have added $513,577 to the district’s total maximum value.

Rusty Klaus, president and CEO of Drymalla Construction, told trustees that lighting is something that could be looked at during the next stage of the bond. “It’s a pretty standalone operation,” Klaus said. “You’re not going to pay a penalty because it’s not with the rest of the work.”

Another alternative item put on hold involved fixing bathroom doors in MSE to make it easier for teachers to monitor. Currently, there are restroom doors on two corridors.

The proposal would have put both entries for the boys’ and girls’ restrooms on the same side. It had a price tag of $102,002.

Some trustees expressed support for the alternative to be added to the construction plans.

“To me, that sounds like something that if we’re going to do it, we probably ought to do it initially,” trustee Anita Volek said. “I would think from a teacher’s perspective that’s something important to be able to keep an eye on all your kids at the same time.”

Ultimately, the bathroom plans were left up in the air to consider later in the year if the budget supported it. “Moving forward, I’m all for the bathroom changes like (Volek) said, but I want us to think highly of (Weidler’s) recommendation,” Vice President Shorty Mitchell said. “Like he said, we can always come back on some of these things without spending all the money on the first two phases.”

Another alternative that was not passed along was a proposal to attach the drive at MSE to T.H. Johnson to avoid traffic on Main Street.