MISD construction costs detailed

By Phil Major
publisher@wood.cm
Posted 1/13/22

Mineola school trustees reviewed estimated costs for a laundry list of potential school improvement projects Monday.

Bryan Parma, vice president of pre-construction for Jackson Construction, said the bulk of the $30.2 million proposal, $19.5 million, would be for a new primary school to be built on district property on NE Loop 564.

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MISD construction costs detailed

Posted

Mineola school trustees reviewed estimated costs for a laundry list of potential school improvement projects Monday.

Bryan Parma, vice president of pre-construction for Jackson Construction, said the bulk of the $30.2 million proposal, $19.5 million, would be for a new primary school to be built on district property on NE Loop 564.

The rest of the projects include repurposing the elementary campus as a facility for career and technical education at $4 million, updating the high school vocational ag facilities and removing the existing auto mechanics building ($1,144,600), reconfiguring the elementary gym to house auto mechanics and ag mechanics ($782,100), upgrading the canopies between buildings ($250,000), and renovating the ag barn ($500,000).

Contingencies and soft costs would add just over $4 million.

Additional project estimates included renovating the DAEP building into a board room at $263,000, upgrades to the high school annex at $435,000, updates to the high school kitchen and adjacent facility at $778,000, updates to the high school building at $2.1 million, updates to high school science classes at $245,000, updates to the middle/primary school at $2.43 million and upgrades to the fieldhouse for $421,000.

Parma also said that if the board chooses to construct a new middle school instead of a primary school, the cost would be $45.5 million. The primary school would be 65,000 square feet while the middle school would be 125,000.

He said the estimates are presented in such a way that the board can pick and choose and move things around.

Trustee Jill Quiambao questioned whether there is space to build another campus on the district property on W. Loop 564, specifically where the baseball and softball fields are located. She cited the difficulty for parents dropping off children at any new campus on the northeast loop and then having to navigate the current campus as well.

Building a new sports complex at the northeast loop site would cost $3-4 million, Parma estimated.

Trustee Glen Dossett, who noted the district has more property east of the current facilities, expressed concern for parents and school buses having to traverse the busy intersections of the loop at Hwy. 69 and Hwy. 37.

Trustee Jay McGough noted that the district should also be looking ahead to the day when a new high school will be needed.

Parma said building on a different site than proposed would not alter the costs much.

Also during the meeting the board heard updates on the welding and HVAC programs that have been added to the career and technical education curriculum.

Welding instructor Jackie Hays said his students have done real well, and all met the goal of achieving certification by the Christmas break.

Ricky Ramirez instructs the HVAC program and said the students are ready to go to work, and the industry needs their skills. He pointed to one student who was able to repair the family heating unit during the Christmas break.