Although two of the three WISD bonds on the ballot in the November 2009 election failed, one, a $25M bond with funds earmarked for repairs to older campuses did pass. At the December meeting of the Wylie school board, Assistant Superintendent for Business Operations Brian Miller proposed a schedule for moving forward with the projects, and the trustees voted to accept the timeline.

Several projects will start in January of 2010. The one that will be starting “from scratch” is the Achieve Academy, the all-new facility that will house Transition to Life, Behavioral Adjustment Unit, Choice HS and Discipline Alternative Education Program. Planning and programming will “start immediately,” according to Miller, with design beginning in May and construction beginning in February 2011. The academy is scheduled for completion by November 2011.

Also beginning in January are designs for additions, electrical upgrades and PA system replacement at Burnett Junior High School. According to a graph provided by the district, construction on additions will begin in October 2010, with a target completion date of May 2011. Chalkboard replacements, electrical upgrades and PA system replacement will begin in June 2010; August 2010 is the scheduled completion date for the electric and PA. The chalkboards should be finished by the end of June. Roofing repair/replacement at Burnett is listed as “to be determined” on the graph. Renovations will be completed between June and August of 2011.
 

At Hartman Elementary, the district’s oldest campus, the design phase of the restroom addition, cafetorium sound system, and electrical and lighting upgrades will begin in January  2010. Construction on the restroom will begin in October 2010 and be completed in May  2011. August 2010 is the projected completion date for the upgrades and cafetorium sound system. Chalkboards and carpet will be replaced in June 2010, and restroom doorframes will be repaired from June to July 2010.
 

Also at Hartman, construction kitchen additions and renovation (if needed) will begin in January 2011 and be complete by the end of August 2011. Hartman’s roofing repair/replacement schedule has yet to be determined.

The planning stage of additions and renovations for Harrison Intermediate will begin in May 2010; construction is slated to begin in January 2011 and be complete by August 2011. The roofing repair/replacement has not been scheduled. Telescoping bleachers in the gym will be replaced by this August.

At Birmingham Elementary, designs for additions and renovations are slated for May 2010, with construction beginning in January 2011 and ending by the end of August 2011. Roofing repair/replacement is “to be determined” at Birmingham.

Designs for Akin Elementary’s kitchen addition and renovation will begin in May 2010; construction will begin in January 2011 and end by the end of August 2011.

In most cases, between the design completion and construction beginning, there is a plan review/design stage, a bid process resulting in the award of the project, and the purchasing of materials. 

The district will have its best foot forward when representatives from Standard & Poor’s and Fitch Investor’s Service visit the district for the purpose of determining WISD’s bond rating; they will be touring the district on Jan. 15, 2010.  On Feb. 25, bonds will be sold; school officials said they anticipate receiving funding on March 23.

Share This Story: