Posted 1:28 am Friday, May 22, 2009
TISD Trustees Approve New Scoreboard
By MEGAN MIDDLETON
Staff Writer
A new video scoreboard is coming to Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium this summer following approval by the Tyler ISD school board at its meeting Thursday.
Staff Writer
A new video scoreboard is coming to Trinity Mother Frances Rose Stadium this summer following approval by the Tyler ISD school board at its meeting Thursday.
The new scoreboard is expected to be in place by Aug. 8, officials said.
Trustees approved a bid for $657,801 from Olen Williams Inc. for the new scoreboard. Olen Williams was the only vendor that submitted a proposal.
The cost includes performance bond, electrical upgrades, remodeling and a $20,000 contingency. The funding will come from the district’s fund balance with total reimbursement through advertising revenues, according to TISD.
TISD officials have said the district is running out of options with the stadium’s aging scoreboard, which has been in service since 1984 and is falling into disrepair.
“This is a topic that has come up multiple years, and we’ve got a scoreboard that they keep putting Band-Aids on,” Board President Ron Vickery said after the meeting.
“This literally is on its last leg. I don’t think, from what I can tell, we could survive another season with the existing scoreboard that is 25 years old. I’m pleased with this particular package.”
Trustees approved a bid for $657,801 from Olen Williams Inc. for the new scoreboard. Olen Williams was the only vendor that submitted a proposal.
The cost includes performance bond, electrical upgrades, remodeling and a $20,000 contingency. The funding will come from the district’s fund balance with total reimbursement through advertising revenues, according to TISD.
TISD officials have said the district is running out of options with the stadium’s aging scoreboard, which has been in service since 1984 and is falling into disrepair.
“This is a topic that has come up multiple years, and we’ve got a scoreboard that they keep putting Band-Aids on,” Board President Ron Vickery said after the meeting.
“This literally is on its last leg. I don’t think, from what I can tell, we could survive another season with the existing scoreboard that is 25 years old. I’m pleased with this particular package.”
An agreement with Titus Sports Marketing will allow the district to repay itself through advertising and revenue accounts, according to TISD. Officials expect it will take a maximum of 10 years to pay off, although they said they expect it could take less time.
TISD Athletics Director Danny Long made a presentation to the school board Thursday, showing examples of what the new scoreboard might look like.
“This is called a virtual scoreboard where you combine the components of live video with the digital scoreboard opportunities and possibilities,” Long told trustees.
According to Long’s presentation, to save in construction costs, the new scoreboard would be placed in front of the field house. The auxiliary scoreboard will be relocated to the opposite end of the stadium.
Olen Williams Inc. has been serving Texas and Oklahoma for more than 55 years, according to his presentation. It is the same company that installed the current scoreboard.
About two years ago, TISD worked with a different company for a new scoreboard in the “million dollar range.” Attempts were made to sell advertising space on the sign, but vendors in the area “felt the prices of the signage on the scoreboard were higher than the value they were receiving,” Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid said previously. Enough signage sponsors were not procured to support that, he has said.
Reid told the board Thursday the current proposal for about $657,000 is “very competitive” after checking with other districts.
“In the past, one of the reasons that the cost was going to be so high is that money was going to be fronted by an outside company, so obviously … you have some interest that you’re going to pay back and over time it’s going to end up costing you more,” Reid said.
The $657,801 out of fund balance is coming from advertising and athletic receipts, he said.
“Without even selling scoreboard advertisement, we’ve already identified a majority of that money within our current advertising budget,” he said. “So we really think we’ll be able to repay it much faster than the 10 years that we’re identifying.”
The video capability on the scoreboard will help the district bring in games and make the district more competitive with others that have these scoreboards already, Reid said. He said the video capability also gives the district a great opportunity to offer additional advertising and can serve as a communication tool with the community.
Trustee Brad Spradlin said he has confidence in Olen Williams and agreed it should help the district bring in events.
“This should help us in attracting some of the higher profile games,” Spradlin said. “These playoff games are a money maker for us.”
TISD Athletics Director Danny Long made a presentation to the school board Thursday, showing examples of what the new scoreboard might look like.
“This is called a virtual scoreboard where you combine the components of live video with the digital scoreboard opportunities and possibilities,” Long told trustees.
According to Long’s presentation, to save in construction costs, the new scoreboard would be placed in front of the field house. The auxiliary scoreboard will be relocated to the opposite end of the stadium.
Olen Williams Inc. has been serving Texas and Oklahoma for more than 55 years, according to his presentation. It is the same company that installed the current scoreboard.
About two years ago, TISD worked with a different company for a new scoreboard in the “million dollar range.” Attempts were made to sell advertising space on the sign, but vendors in the area “felt the prices of the signage on the scoreboard were higher than the value they were receiving,” Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid said previously. Enough signage sponsors were not procured to support that, he has said.
Reid told the board Thursday the current proposal for about $657,000 is “very competitive” after checking with other districts.
“In the past, one of the reasons that the cost was going to be so high is that money was going to be fronted by an outside company, so obviously … you have some interest that you’re going to pay back and over time it’s going to end up costing you more,” Reid said.
The $657,801 out of fund balance is coming from advertising and athletic receipts, he said.
“Without even selling scoreboard advertisement, we’ve already identified a majority of that money within our current advertising budget,” he said. “So we really think we’ll be able to repay it much faster than the 10 years that we’re identifying.”
The video capability on the scoreboard will help the district bring in games and make the district more competitive with others that have these scoreboards already, Reid said. He said the video capability also gives the district a great opportunity to offer additional advertising and can serve as a communication tool with the community.
Trustee Brad Spradlin said he has confidence in Olen Williams and agreed it should help the district bring in events.
“This should help us in attracting some of the higher profile games,” Spradlin said. “These playoff games are a money maker for us.”
GRIFFIN
Trustees approved initial design plans for the new Griffin Elementary School at their meeting. The new two-story Griffin Elementary will be located on property owned by TISD, next to Dogan Middle School and near the corner of Broadway Avenue and 28th Street, which TISD plans to extend to Broadway.
Under the new plan, Griffin will not have a prototypical Jack Elementary design as was originally proposed. Instead, it will have a unique, dual-level design. It is still designed to contain 800 students. The dual-level design is a result of the terrain at the site.
Preliminary designs show a rotunda entryway for the school, which will be about 90,000 square feet and is bigger than the Jack Elementary model.
Architect Kent Harris of Eubanks, Harris, Roberts, Craig Architects told trustees Thursday that they have used some of the same types of “traditional timeless elements of architecture” in the design of Griffin that are similar to ones used in other TISD campuses recently built. But, he added, “It’s not exactly the same.”
“This is certainly a unique floor plan and footprint and shape and image, but you still have some of the characteristics of timeless architecture,” Harris said.
He also said that because of the topography of the roads, there is not really a “back side” to the school.
“Every corner and end of this building has to look good,” he said.
Not all the details of the design are worked out yet, Harris said.
Trustee Therelee Washington suggested the school feature some arches such as those at Jack and Douglas elementary schools so the outside façade would not look as “plain.”
Board Vice President Michelle Carr also said she would like to see more of a “traditional look” in some of the design.
As part of the project, the district plans to extend 28th Street from Bois D’Arc Avenue to Broadway and close Bois D’Arc between 26th and 28th streets. It plans to buy 2 acres in front of the school for better accessibility and visibility. The school will sit about a block back from Broadway.
The location of Griffin, and the opening date for the new school, was delayed after the district’s initial proposal for its location was met with resistance from the Griffin community in February.
TISD is constructing a new Griffin Elementary as part of the $124.9 million bond package voters approved in November. The bond also is paying for replacement schools for Clarkston, Orr and Woods elementary schools as well as a joint replacement school for Mattie Jones Elementary and the St. Louis School-Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs facility that serves special needs students.
All schools other than Griffin are expected to open in August 2010. Griffin is expected to be completed in December 2010.
Under the new plan, Griffin will not have a prototypical Jack Elementary design as was originally proposed. Instead, it will have a unique, dual-level design. It is still designed to contain 800 students. The dual-level design is a result of the terrain at the site.
Preliminary designs show a rotunda entryway for the school, which will be about 90,000 square feet and is bigger than the Jack Elementary model.
Architect Kent Harris of Eubanks, Harris, Roberts, Craig Architects told trustees Thursday that they have used some of the same types of “traditional timeless elements of architecture” in the design of Griffin that are similar to ones used in other TISD campuses recently built. But, he added, “It’s not exactly the same.”
“This is certainly a unique floor plan and footprint and shape and image, but you still have some of the characteristics of timeless architecture,” Harris said.
He also said that because of the topography of the roads, there is not really a “back side” to the school.
“Every corner and end of this building has to look good,” he said.
Not all the details of the design are worked out yet, Harris said.
Trustee Therelee Washington suggested the school feature some arches such as those at Jack and Douglas elementary schools so the outside façade would not look as “plain.”
Board Vice President Michelle Carr also said she would like to see more of a “traditional look” in some of the design.
As part of the project, the district plans to extend 28th Street from Bois D’Arc Avenue to Broadway and close Bois D’Arc between 26th and 28th streets. It plans to buy 2 acres in front of the school for better accessibility and visibility. The school will sit about a block back from Broadway.
The location of Griffin, and the opening date for the new school, was delayed after the district’s initial proposal for its location was met with resistance from the Griffin community in February.
TISD is constructing a new Griffin Elementary as part of the $124.9 million bond package voters approved in November. The bond also is paying for replacement schools for Clarkston, Orr and Woods elementary schools as well as a joint replacement school for Mattie Jones Elementary and the St. Louis School-Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs facility that serves special needs students.
All schools other than Griffin are expected to open in August 2010. Griffin is expected to be completed in December 2010.
OTHER ITEMS
Also approved Thursday: 2008-09 amended budget; gifts and donations; depository contract extension; resolution for sale of property of delinquent taxes; specialty warranty deed at Woods Elementary; roofing quotes for several TISD facilities; installation of electronic marquees at Bell, Ramey and Jack elementary schools; data center ethernet switch upgrade; technology service center remodeling; malicious call tracing software; and a one-time payment of $75,000 to the city of Tyler for the use of softball fields at Faulkner Park for 10 years.
The board also approved $686,316 for C-SCOPE curriculum enhancements. The money will be spent over an 18-month period and be used to pay many of the district’s own teachers to serve on teams to help revise and refine the C-SCOPE curriculum.
Trustees also received a construction summary, monthly financial summary, budget update, legislative update and district reorganization update.
One person spoke during the public participation period of the meeting. Larry Kalmowitz, a parent of Robert E. Lee High School students, told trustees he would like to see a copy of the TISD budget online so taxpayers can see where money is being spent.
Kalmowitz also said he is concerned with the effectiveness of teachers to teach children and not to “teach TAKS.” He also expressed concern about the number of fights at the school.
The board also approved $686,316 for C-SCOPE curriculum enhancements. The money will be spent over an 18-month period and be used to pay many of the district’s own teachers to serve on teams to help revise and refine the C-SCOPE curriculum.
Trustees also received a construction summary, monthly financial summary, budget update, legislative update and district reorganization update.
One person spoke during the public participation period of the meeting. Larry Kalmowitz, a parent of Robert E. Lee High School students, told trustees he would like to see a copy of the TISD budget online so taxpayers can see where money is being spent.
Kalmowitz also said he is concerned with the effectiveness of teachers to teach children and not to “teach TAKS.” He also expressed concern about the number of fights at the school.
