ANDREWS Construction financed by Andrews ISD’s $157 million bond passed in May has begun in a small increment.
The only two projects put out for bid are the middle school football field and the high school girls’ softball field. Hellas is the contractor for both.
The football field project is $1.4 million and the softball field is $4 million.
There are several major projects included in the propositions that will be completed in phases. The crown jewel is the high school. Superintendent Bobby Azam said bids won’t go out for those probably until August and select contractors in September.
Work likely won’t be completed on the packages until about 2025, he said.
In case anyone’s curious, Azam said the high school will retain its famous dome. It will be spruced up a little, though.
Azam said construction at the high school won’t affect instruction. The only difference students might notice is that some areas will be blocked off while they’re being renovated.
The board did not want to use portables while work is going on because they might become permanent.
In 2011 and 2018, Andrews had some rolling bonds to pay for capital projects.
The bond for facilities passed in May has been in the works since the 2016-17 school year. The architect is Craig Wallace of Stiles Wallace Associates of Lubbock.
With the passage of the bond, Andrews ISD’s total tax rate is $1.06 per $100 valuation.
The district’s website says public school taxes involve two figures, the maintenance and operations budget (M&O), “which funds daily costs and recurring or consumable expenditures such as teacher and staff salaries, supplies, food, gas and utilities.”
“Approximately 84 percent of the district’s M&O revenue goes to teacher and staff salaries.”
The second part is interest and sinking budget (I&S), also known as debt service which is “used to repay debt for longer-term capital improvements approved by voters through bond elections. Proceeds from a bond issue can be used for the construction and renovation of facilities, the acquisition of land and the purchase of capital items such as equipment, technology and transportation. I&S funds cannot by law be used to pay M&O expenses, which means that voter-approved bonds cannot be used to increase teacher salaries or pay rising costs for utilities and services,” the site said.
Andrews is considered a property wealthy district so part of its funding goes back to Austin. However, its interest and sinking funds stay local.
Azam said the district also has among the lowest tax rates in the state.
The district has about 4,196 students, 1,200 of which attend Andrews High School.
“We had addressed all the other campuses. We added additions to the elementaries and the middle school. So really we were set for growth as well. But the high school was the last kind of frontier,” Azam said.
They will have to move the entrance to the high school to the back. Maps have been sent out to people letting them know about the change. There will be some logistic interruptions, but instruction will still go on.
“Rather than use portables, we’re going to build a permanent structure, our science wing; we’re going to build a permanent structure, our new offices. When those are complete, everybody moves out and the areas that were the office of the science that just gets locked up. We renovate that. … The north almost central part of that renovation, when it’s done we’ll just block it off and they can still use the rest of the school,” Azam said.
He noted that they are not knocking down any structural walls.
Bond projects
Proposition A was approved at a 71.7% passing rate. Totaling $108,820,000, Prop A will address renovations and additions to the main high school building.
- High school main building remodel
- New high school science wing
- New high school administration wing
- New High school choir and band rehearsal spaces
- New high school career and technical education facility – industrial arts.
- Cosmetology and barber spaces
- Little theater updates
- Additional locker rooms
- Revised parking
- Campus entry/fencing
Proposition B was approved at a 56.3% passing rate. Totaling $35,835,000, Prop B will address athletic upgrades.
- Additional tennis courts
- New softball complex
- Baseball field remodel
- Multipurpose indoor training facility
- Lighting for discus field
- Golf locker rooms updates
- New middle school practice field
Proposition C was approved at a 55.7% passing rate. Totaling $12,075,000, Prop C will address renovations to the Mustang Bowl.
- South endzone turf
- Home side press box
- Home side restrooms
- Home side elevator
- Home side seats
- Visitor side press box
- Visitor side restrooms
- Visitor side seat
- Stadium lighting
Proposition B and C had to be separated by law.
