| |
March 21, 2006
Goose Creek CISD bond projects are moving ahead on schedule, said David Fluker, director of facilities and construction for GCCISD.
Stallworth Stadium
Work began on the Stallworth Stadium turf project on Feb. 9, Fluker said. The project will include pulling up the existing grass, putting in fill material, and installing the new artificial turf. The project will be completed sometime in April, he added.
A pre-proposal meeting for renovations work at Stallworth Stadium was held on Feb. 10. Prospective contractors for the project were invited to hear more about the specifications of the project during the meeting. The stadium renovations are scheduled for substantial completion by July 17, 2006.
Highlands Junior School
A pre-proposal meeting for the construction of the Highlands Junior School replacement was held on Feb. 10, Fluker said. Prospective contractors had the opportunity to learn more about the specifications for the project, with bids due on
Feb. 21.
The Board of Trustees is tentatively slated to approve bids for the Highlands Junior project in March, with construction scheduled to start later that month. The project is expected to reach substantial completion by July 16, 2007, with the new facility to open for the 2007-08 school year.
REL Baseball Field
The new bleachers are being installed at Robert E. Lee High School’s baseball stadium. Fluker noted that the renovations will be completed before the first game.
Other New Schools
Final plans for the third high school will be presented to the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee (CBAC) at the committee’s next meeting on Feb. 23, Fluker noted. He said that the district is scheduled to present the plans to the Board of Trustees at the Board’s March meeting.
The third high school, which will be located at North Main St. and Wallisville Road, is scheduled for substantial completion by June 16, 2008, so that it will open for the 2008-09 school year. Bids will be accepted in April 2006, with construction slated to begin in June 2006.
Final plans for Bowie Elementary School and Elementary #14 will be presented to the CBAC on March 9 and the Board on March 27. Bids will be accepted in April, with construction scheduled to begin in May 2006. Substantial completion is expected by July 15, 2007.
January 18, 2006
CBAC Endorsements
At its Jan. 12 meeting, the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee endorsed the final designs for the new Highlands Junior School, Hopper Primary School gymnasium and renovations, Gentry Junior School addition and renovations, and Stallworth Stadium renovations. According to David Fluker, facilities planning and construction manager, the designs will be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval at the Jan. 23 regular meeting.
If approved by the Board, Fluker said that bidding on the Highlands Junior School project will start Feb. 21, with construction slated to begin on March 20. The substantial completion date for Highlands Junior School is July 16, 2007. Bidding for the Stallworth Stadium renovations, which include a new press box and elevator, will begin Feb. 15. Construction is scheduled to begin March 17, with a substantial completion date of July 17.
Following Board approval of the Gentry and Hopper final designs, bidding will begin on March 30, with construction on both projects to begin May 1. The substantial completion date for the two
projects is Dec. 15.
Projects in Progress
Fluker reported that the Robert E. Lee High School baseball field project is currently on schedule, with renovations to be completed by the end of January. The project includes new bleachers, lights, and backstops, he said.
Installation of new artificial turf at Stallworth Stadium will soon be underway, he added. The project will include pulling up the existing grass, putting in fill material, and installing the turf. The expected completion date for this project is April 1.
Coming Soon
At the Feb. 16 meeting of the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee, members will review the final plans for the new Bowie Elementary School, Elementary #14, and High School #3 as well as Baytown Junior School renovations. Fluker noted that these projects are all on schedule, with the two elementary facilities scheduled for substantial completion by July 15, 2007, and the third high school scheduled for substantial completion by June 16, 2008. Renovations at Baytown Junior School will be completed by Aug. 1, 2006, he said.
Technology
Technology Management Systems (TMS) director Frankie Jackson reported that the district has conducted an analysis and purchased a new centralized Internet content filtering server as part of the bond program.
“Since the time it was purchased, the district’s Internet network bandwidth had increased from a 3-meg connection to a 40-meg connection,” Jackson said. “The new server will increase response time and manage Internet traffic more efficiently,” she said.
In addition, the district conducted an analysis and purchased a new administrative server, which will consolidate older servers from TMS, West Town and Food Service; Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation; and Administration. The new administrative server will provide more capacity and efficiency for administrative, service, and curriculum staff, she said.
December 20, 2005
Schematic designs
At the December meeting of the Citizens Bond Advisory Committee, CBAC members endorsed schematic designs for Stallworth Stadium renovations, the Bowie Elementary School replacement facility, and construction delivery methods. The Board of Trustees approved these designs at the Dec. 12 meeting of the Board.
Bowie Elementary
According to Robby McGowen, assistant superintendent for support services, the replacement facility for Bowie Elementary will be a mirror image of Elementary #14, which was approved by the Board at its November meeting. Plans for both schools are based on the footprint of George Washington Carver and William B. Travis elementary schools, which were part of the 1999 bond issue.
McGowen explained that a meeting was held with Bowie parents and area residents on Nov. 17 to gain input about the new school. Parts of the walking trails and small park next to the school will be retained, and almost every tree at the site will be saved during the process, he added.
Stallworth Stadium
Renovations and the addition of turf to Stallworth Stadium will make it “one of the premiere stadiums in this area, serving not only our three high schools and five junior schools, but also the entire southeast Houston area,” McGowen said. The renovations will include adding a two-tier press box with separate areas for media/scouts and coaches; a handicap-accessible restroom; an elevator; and improved access for those with disabilities.
District officials recently met with several groups that use the stadium throughout the year to let them know the estimated stage of construction the stadium will be at during the time of their events. The stadium will be completed and ready for use for athletic activities in the fall of 2006.
Highlands Junior School
David Fluker, director of facilities and construction, has been meeting with architects and the program manager to finalize plans for the Highlands Junior School replacement facility. Fluker explained that the Highlands Junior project will be the first to go out for bids, with the estimated groundbreaking at the end of March.
Technology
Technology staff members prepared for upcoming technology bond purchases to determine pricing for teacher, administrative, and instructional computers and laptops. Price and performance comparisons were completed in order to make a recommendation to the CBAC’s Technology Subcommittee.
In addition, the district purchased 260 hand-held devices for prekindergarten and first- though third-grade language arts classrooms. Software for these devices will enable teachers to capture a snapshot of each child’s language arts development, explained Frankie Jackson, director of technology management systems (TMS).
“Teachers can use the device to assess the student’s progress, and then store the data on the web where teachers can view, analyze, and manage student assessment data,” Jackson said.
November 28, 2005
Program Management
Jacobs Facilities, a division of Jacobs Engineering, has been selected as the program manager and commissioning agent for Goose Creek CISD’s 2005 bond program. Representatives from Jacobs will work with district officials to determine what projects will be managed and commissioned by Jacobs, managed jointly by Jacobs and the district, or managed by the district with commissioning by Jacobs.
CBAC/Board Action
The Citizens Bond Advisory Committee has held regular meetings for several months, with members reviewing important information about bond projects. With the recommendation of the committee, the Board of Trustees approved several schematic designs for construction projects at its Nov. 14 meeting. Included were the schematic designs for Elementary #14, which will be located in the Eastpoint area near Garth Road and Seabird, and the gymnasium addition at Hopper Primary School. Also approved were schematic designs for a 20,000-square-foot classroom addition at Gentry Junior School and a 450-seat auditorium and band room/storage area at Horace Mann Junior School.
Presentations to the Board were made by VLK Architects for Elementary #14, Kirksey Architecture for Hopper Primary and Gentry, and RWS Architects for Horace Mann.
The CBAC also endorsed the recommendations of the Technology Subcommittee for replacement of the internet filtering server and replacement and consolidation of the administrative server. The Board approved these technology infrastructure items as well at the Nov. 14 meeting.
In addition, the Board approved an agreement with CLR Architects granting a license to use and modify the design of Carver and Travis elementary schools for future elementary school sites. The district plans to use this design, with modifications, for building a replacement facility for Bowie Elementary School and construction of Elementary #14.
Demographic Study
In related news, the Board approved a proposal to contract with Population and Survey Analysts, Inc., of College Station to perform a demographic study for the district. The purpose of the study is to gain accurate demographic information for attendance zone revision as bond projects are completed, providing additional seats to reduce overcrowding in the district.
Dr. Toby York, deputy superintendent for personnel and student services, explained that the study would be completed by May 2006, and the start of the process for making revisions to attendance zones is planned for June 2006.
Following Board approval of changes in attendance zones, the district will begin communicating revisions to parents in the spring of 2007 in preparation for the opening of the new Bowie Elementary and Elementary #14 in August 2007. Additional consideration of attendance zone changes will be made for implementation at the high school level when High School #3 opens in August 2008. |