What Projects Will Be Part Of School Bond?

At its next meeting the San Angelo Independent School District (SAISD) Board of Trustees is likely to take up the proposed $402 Million School Bond. The Board has several options to consider. First is whether to call a bond election at all. Second is when to hold the election. The Board could vote to hold the election during the election on May 3, 2025 or postpone it until the general election in November. Then the Board would have to decide what should be included in the bond. The board could submit everything to the voters or cull the projects down. It could also submit one or more of the projects into separate proposals to vote on, so it is not an all or nothing choice.

There are many aspects to the citizen’s committee recommendations to the Board. Here we will preview the proposal from 30,000 feet. We will cover specific elements and aspects of the proposal in more depth later.

The key components of the committee’s recommendations primarily focus on campus additions and renovations as part of SAISD’s long range plan to “right-size” its facilities to meet current enrollment and services needs in the most efficient manner. These include $8 Million in safety and security upgrades, $122 Million for a new Glenn Middle School, $125 Million for additions and renovations to Central High School to be done in three phases, $29 Million for additions and renovations to Lakeview High School and $45 Million for elementary additions and renovations necessary to reduce the number of elementary schools needed. This goes hand in hand with the District’s expected closure and consolidations of Reagan and Bowie, as well as two more rounds of closures Superintendent Dr. Christopher Moran has said will be needed. The committee also recommended replacing Glenn Middle School with a new building to be constructed on site while the current GMS is still in use.

Alan Wolf with Parkhill Architects presented the committee’s proposal at the Board of Trustees meeting on January 21, 2025. He emphasized that although he assisted the committee, this was the committee’s proposal, not the proposal of Parkhill Architects

Central High School

If first responders keep a list of schools in San Angelo that worry them the most if there is a school shooting, undoubtedly the school first on that list is Central High School. The District is in the process of fencing the entire campus and doing what it can to restrict access to certain entry and exit points. But this if far from satisfactory. The open campus is unique among Texas High Schools, dating back to the 1950s. The open campus was a novel, experimental concept for its time. It has served the District well but most of the original structures have outlived their time. But rather than propose construction of a new high school, the facilities advisory committee recommended reusing and renovating the campus in three phases to breathe new life into Central for the next 70 years or more.

Phase One

The first phase would be replacing the Sarah Bernhardt Theater, the original administration building and cafeteria with a new auditorium, competitive gymnasium, kitchen and dining hall as well as adding new facilities for the culinary arts and nursing programs.

Phase Two

Phase two includes tearing down Sousa Hall and building new academic buildings and library, bringing the buildings on the extreme edges of the campus into the current courtyard. This phase promises to go a long way toward increasing the security of the campus.

Phase Three

Phase three would complete the renovations into a modern high school adding a few additional academic buildings and new practice fields.

The renderings above are conceptual drawings only, are not part of the phased proposal, and could be modified or changed depending on the needs of the District and the wishes of the voters.

Lake View High School

The committee’s proposal calls for new additions and renovations to Lake View including a new mariachi hall, nursing lab, wood shop, welding shop, and auto shop.

Glenn Middle School

The committee proposed replacing Glenn Middle School with a new school to be built on site, including a new practice field, library, band hall, new ensemble hall, and new science laboratories.

Right Sizing Elementary Schools

The committee also recommends undertaking renovations of various elementary schools as part of its plans to close more elementary schools and consolidate them. A new front entry is proposed for Fannin Elementary along with a new kitchen, cafeteria, new library, new administration offices and a new playground. The next phase for McGill would include anew classroom addition, parking and a school drive addition. Crockett will receive a new kitchen, cafeteria and new class rooms.

The Board can adopt, modify or reject this proposal and call a bond election for all of it, a part or it, or none of it. San Angelo voters have been very stingy in granting authority to spend money on facilities through bond elections for decades. The Board is likely to have this in mind when deciding how to vote.

The Board of Trustees will be discussing and possibly acting on this proposal at its next meeting on February 18, 2025 at 5:45 p.m. at the SAISD Administration Building 1621 University San Angelo, Texas.