Houston Schools is looking at needs on campus as it considers a potential 2019 bond issue.
Board members discussed ideas with the district’s architect, Paragon, at last week’s monthly meeting. The district selected it in June to lead planning for potential improvements on campus.
Dr. Allen Moss, superintendent, said the district has discussed the possibility of building a new gymnasium that would connect the high school and middle school building with Hiett Gymnasium. He said there have also been talks to replace the track –– a surveyor recently looked at the layout and recorded measurements –– as well as upgrading aging heating and cooling units on campus.
Moss said the discussions are still in the preliminary stage. He said the board would need to decide by December if it wanted to put a bond issue on the April 2019 ballot.
“We’re drawing a 5-10 year plan to say, ‘Here are all the things we need, what needs to be done first?'” Moss said. “Within the next few weeks we will start speaking to the public and staff.”
The district’s last bond came in April 2013, when voters overwhelmingly approved a $4 million measure that included expanding the cafeteria, adding air conditioning to Hiett Gymnasium and building a new library while connecting the middle and high school buildings. The bond received 72-percent approval.
Moss said the district’s current bonding capacity is around $5.5 million.
Also during the meeting, school board members:
• Approved expanding the district’s drug testing program to include middle school students who participate in extracurricular activities. The district currently only tests high school athletes.
“We want to put them on a similar field of accountability – not because there is a problem, but that we want to be proactive,” Moss said.
The district tests high school students at the beginning of the year and then conducts random tests 3-4 times throughout the year, Moss said.
• Purchased Chamber Field from the Houston Area Chamber of Commerce for $27,500. The field sits adjacent to Carter Field and the parking lot for Hiett Gymnasium on campus.
“With the additions of middle school softball and baseball programs, we have more of a need for field space,” Moss said.
• Approved a $753,000 boiler bid from Total Building Solutions. The district will purchase the boiler separately. The district received funding up to $305,000 in December 2017 to purchase a boiler through the Fuels for Schools Grant. The current boiler, which services the high school, middle school and Hiett Gymnasium, was installed in 1984.
• Accepted a $90,541 bid from Midwest Bus Service, Inc. for two buses that will be purchased with the help of a grant applied for by transportation director Matt Robertson.
• Set the 2019 graduation for 7 p.m. Saturday, May 18.
• Will send a letter of support to the City of Houston’s grant work to add a sidewalk on King Street from Ozark to Chestnut. Moss said the district may later contribute financing.
• Received and approved a health services program evaluation from Michele Moseley, elementary nurse.
• Approved the 2018-’19 bus routes as presented by Robertson.
• Accepted resignations from Sara Miller (food services) and Abigail Gaither (bus driver). Both were effective Sept. 28.
• Hired Brittany Weinpert, pending background check, for food services for the current school year.
Three Houston students injured Friday afternoon when bus rear-ended on U.S. 63
Three students from the Houston R-1 School District were injured Friday afternoon when a bus was struck in the rear on North U.S. 63.
Tpr. Cathryn Davis said a southbound 2002 Toyota Rav4 driven by Barbara A. Sullins, 47, of Licking, collided with the bus south of Primrose Drive. Gwendolyn R. Montgomery, 58, of Houston, was the bus driver.
Three students –– Larkin L. Antolik, 12; Kenzey Hayes, 17; and Hailey Wilber, 16 –– were taken by ambulance to Texas County Memorial Hospital. Wilber had moderate injuries, while Antolik and Hayes had minor injuries.
Both drivers were wearing seat belts, Davis said. The bus had minor damage and the Toyota had extensive damage.