Posted 3:21 am Sunday, December 19, 2010
Palestine ISD Spreads Building Funds
By BETTY WATERS
Staff Writer
PALESTINE -- With two phases of a $64 million construction program under way and another phase finished, Palestine Independent School District officials carefully parcel the money to turn as many schools as possible into professional facilities.
Staff Writer
PALESTINE -- With two phases of a $64 million construction program under way and another phase finished, Palestine Independent School District officials carefully parcel the money to turn as many schools as possible into professional facilities.
"We'd rather spread the money out to touch everything instead of spending it on a few fantastic projects," Superintendent Dr. Tommy Wallis said.
Projects completed in Phase 1 are nice and give students every tool possible to be successful in the classroom and in extracurricular activities, yet they're "not the Taj Mahal," Wallis said.
"It's going to be the same in Phase 2 and Phase 3," the superintendent predicted. "I think Palestine citizens are going to be proud of what they see … there's a million ways that instructionally, it's going to be so much better."
All three phases are financed with a $64 million bond issue that voters approved in 2009. Construction started early this year and is projected to finish in 2012.
New construction is designed to allow adding on to schools if the district continues to grow.
Phase 1 construction and renovations, which kicked off last January at a projected cost of $5.57 million, were completed on time in July and $176,308 under budget. "We couldn't be more pleased," Wallis said.
The district will hold that money until the end of the construction program, drawing interest, and then decide where it can best be spent, according to the superintendent.
"The $64 million won't fix all of our problems -- it will fix the majority of our problems. There's still a wish list and a few things we need to fix to keep things up to date," Wallis said.
Wallis hopes Phase 2, estimated to cost $19.9 million, and Phase 3, an approximately $32 million undertaking, also will be on time and under budget, but currently watches to see how they will turn out.
He attributes Phase 1 coming in under budget to a combination of factors.
The district accepted bids on the Phase 1 construction contract at a time when contractors were hungry for jobs and the competition was great, possibly influencing lower bids on the contract due to the country's economic hardships, Wallis said.
Too, the district was frugal in working with architects on the designs to determine that all aspects of Phase 1 projects are a necessity, Wallis said, then added, "Everything is based on need -- not desires, wishes or any extras."
Phase 1 consisted of improvements at Washington Elementary, Story Interm-ediate School and Sam Houston Elementary.
The Washington building, which had not been used in years, was gutted and renovated with new floors, walls, ceilings, air conditioning, heating and improvements.
The overhaul transformed Washington into a virtually new facility, effective at start of the current school year. It houses an accredited day care program and an early childhood education center for Head Start and prekindergarten.
"We feel like the brand new day care is something to brag and shout to the roof tops about because we are the only school district in East Texas, especially small district, with day care for employees. We're proud of it," Wallis said.
Administrators surveyed fees at area day cares and recommended the district's day care charge less. The school board ordered the fees set even lower at $20 per day for children less than 24 months old and $14 per day for children older than 24 months. It serves children from 8 months through 5 years.
"It benefits everybody to have your children in a day care that's operated by your district," Wallis said.
Employees pay only for days they leave their children there. "If you have a 188-day contract, you pay for 188 days of day care, whereas at (other) day cares, you have to pay year-round," Wallis said.
The district's day care stays open late at no extra charge on days the district has meetings or projects for teachers.
It is a recruiting tool that the district touts in trying to attract high-quality teachers, according to the superintendent. This past year, the day care was the reason some new teachers came to Palestine ISD.
"The district is not trying to make money off it; we are just trying to break even," Wallis said.
The early childhood center and Head Start programs at Washington now have a parent center and their own gymnasium, cafeteria and library, all facilities that most Head Start centers across Texas do not have.
Phase 1 construction turned Sam Houston Elementary into the district's administration building. It has a new meeting room for the school board, new reception area and offices for the superintendent, assistant superintendent of human resources, business director, special education director, assistant superintendent of instructional services and other administrators.
Phase 1 provided Story Ele-mentary with renovated bathrooms and new floors throughout the building, except the halls. Carpet was installed in the administration area and tile in classrooms.
PHASE 2
Phase 2, which also began last January, consists of both renovations and additions to the kindergarten Northside Primary School, the first- and second-grade Southside Elementary School and Palestine Middle School.
Phase 2, which also began last January, consists of both renovations and additions to the kindergarten Northside Primary School, the first- and second-grade Southside Elementary School and Palestine Middle School.
Restrooms at all three schools will be renovated this summer.
The new additions are scheduled for completion in March and then other renovation projects will begin, mainly at Northside and Southside.
Northside is getting an eight-classroom addition, kitchen and cafeteria and new administrative offices. The same new construction program is under way at Southside, except a gymnasium also is being built there since the school does not have a gym currently. Existing cafeterias at both schools will be turned into a new library, restrooms and classrooms. With construction of a new administrative complex, the current administrative area and library will be made into additional classroom space.
Those renovation projects are expected to be finished this summer in time for use starting next school year.
Once those projects are finished, Southside will have a new classroom addition, a new cafeteria, new administrative complex and new gymnasium. The district will "rid itself" of four portable buildings that currently house seven, second-grade classes, the superintendent said.
A new competition gym is being built at Palestine Middle School, while the existing locker room and gym are being remodeled for physical education.
As pledged when voters voted on the bond issue, the district will be reconfigured at the elementary and middle school levels in August 2012.
Although Washington will stay an early childhood and prekindergarten center, North-side will house kindergarten and first grade; Southside will be a second- and third-grade campus and Story Intermediate School will house fourth, fifth and sixth grades.
"That will take the sixth grade off the middle school campus and put them in the intermediate school where they belong," Wallis said. Palestine Middle School will house seventh and eighth grades only, while Palestine High School will continue to serve ninth through 12th grades.
PHASE 3
Phase 3 construction, expected to take two years and be complete in August 2012, will provide virtually a new high school, with much of the current facility torn down.
Phase 3 construction, expected to take two years and be complete in August 2012, will provide virtually a new high school, with much of the current facility torn down.
The old gymnasium, old band hall and some classrooms already have been razed.
"The middle school gymnasium holds the key to the entire high school project and the middle school project," Wallis said. "When the new middle school gymnasium is complete, the high school will move and occupy the middle school gymnasium. For a while, the middle school will house sixth, seventh and eighth grades and high school athletics and band."
Projects include classrooms, a new competition gym and practice gym, band hall, library, theatrical area, choir room and auditorium, cafeteria and kitchen and administrative offices. Where the high school gym is currently and locker space will be renovated and made into a classroom academic wing. The various facilities will be attached to create a horseshoe-shaped high school structure, the superintendent said.
The vocational wing will remain.
Some portables from Story School may be moved temporarily to the high school to house classes until construction at Palestine High School is finished.
Some portables from Story School may be moved temporarily to the high school to house classes until construction at Palestine High School is finished.
The high school already has six portables housing two classes each.
Eventually all of the portables will be sold, Wallis said.
"We will take occupancy of the new high school in chunks, like when the athletic complex is finished, we will start using it and give back to the middle school what is the middle school's and then the high school stays off that campus," Wallis said.
For years, the high school and middle school have shared a cafeteria. "Middle school and high school kids really don't need to interact much, and that's why we want to get it finished as soon as possible to get the high school kids off that campus," Wallis said.
"The sky's the limit" for what the construction and renovations will do for instruction and the learning environment at the high school, Wallis said. His hope is that the new Palestine High
School will be sufficient for the next 20 or 30 years.
The new high school will have eight science labs instead of three in the old high school.
The new library will be built for wireless use.
Edges of the library will be built like a coffe house area with computer jacks, enabling students to sit on a bar stool and do research.
Classrooms will be nicer and larger, and students won't be crammed.
All classes will be close to one another on two or three floors, which is expected to lead to a decrease in tardiness.
Current classrooms are old and have windows that won't fully close, so they often are cold or hot, depending on the time of year.
The building is not bright and not conducive to a learning
environment, Wallis said.
