Rice ISD board looking at bond

The Rice Consolidated Independent School District Board of Trustees discussed the possibility of putting a bond issue before voters for constructing of new classrooms and/or other school facilities at their regular meeting Monday, Feb. 19.

The discussion was brought up after a special workshop about the immediate needs of Eagle Lake Elementary School.

Assistant Superintendent Bill Hefner said that half of the school was in good shape, while half was beyond repair.

Calvin Powitsky of Bay Architects spoke to the board of trustees about cost estimates and possible building designs for three different propositions that, if approved, can be put forth on the ballot to be voted on by the public.

Proposition 1 includes the construction of 14 classrooms, two computer labs and two science labs to be built near Rice High School at Altair replacing 18 classrooms located at Eagle Lake Elementary at an approximate cost of $7 million dollars.

Proposition 2 includes the construction of a 7,500 square foot band hall and a 18,400 square foot gymnasium with a combined cost of $5.1 million and Proposition 3 includes the construction of an auditorium and a career technology center with the approximate combined cost of $4.8 million.

Hefner said that these propositions are more of a starting point and nothing is final at this time.

If approved by the board, the citizens in the community will have the opportunity to vote yes or no on all three propositions.

"I think there are three needs in this district," said Mike Lanier, superintendent. "The academic classrooms are the most important in my opinion. This isn't anything to take lightly with a tax increase and a large amount of money involved. We need to turn every rock over."

Lanier informed the board that the propositions are subject to change and emphasized that the situation Eagle Lake Elementary School is the immediate concern.

"We have two wings falling down and that has to be addressed," Lanier said.

Rice CISD School board member Joe Lee Perez's concern was with the building of classrooms in Proposition 1 and the addition of grades six, seven and eighth grade being moved to Altair, a new cafeteria will be greatly needed to feed the increasing number of students in a timely fashion.

"I think it is a big issue," Perez said.

The construction of a cafeteria would raise the expenses in Proposition 1 from $7 million dollars to over $9 1/2 million.

Board member Wayne Bowen said he has heard negative feedback about sixth graders being relocated near the high school.

"I've heard people every where against bringing sixth graders in from Eagle Lake," Bowen said.

Board President Betty Schiurring asked Hefner how to keep the sixth grade at the Eagle Lake Elementary.

"We are good with quality space for grades kindergarten through five," Hefner said. "There is not enough space to leave any more students. We are looking at three to four classes needing to be built."

The school board scheduled a special workshop on Monday where they further discussed the issue.

The dead line for the school board to approve placing the propositions on the May bond election is March 12 and the deadline for the November election is Sept. 5.

Athletic Director Brad Dumont addressed the board of trustees with a request to hire an athletic trainer for the school district.

The purpose of this employee would be to act as a "go between" for Rice athletics, the school, the doctors and hospital.

He said that not many Class 2A schools have trainers on staff but that Raiders Athletics has as many students competing in sports as 3A schools such as Columbus, Sweeny and Cuero.

Dumont mentioned that an athletic trainer would serve as a nurse when not participating with school athletics and could also take care of CPR and AED training.

"An athletic trainer can be hired full time or can work as a trainer and teach classes, but that ones who teach classes usually do not stay with a specific school for a lengthy period of time," Dumont said.

The board of trustees agreed to draw up a job description for an athletic trainer's position and put it on the March meeting agenda to vote on.

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