Photo by Tomball ISDThe Tomball ISD board of trustees presented updates Feb. 9 on four new schools scheduled to open for the 2015–16 and 2016–17 academic years and plans to sell previous bonds by the end of March.
Due to rain delays, TISD Director of Construction Gary Hutton said construction on Creekview Elementary School, Wildwood Elementary School, Oakcrest Intermediate School and Creekside Park Junior High is behind schedule from about two weeks to six weeks depending on the project.
"Everything right now is about catching up to schedule and getting back on schedule," Hutton said.
TISD officials are planning to move furniture into the new schools in early July for the August openings of the Creekview, Wildwood and Oakcrest, Hutton said.
The construction of Creekview, located at New Harmony Place in The Woodlands, totals $16.9 million and is about six weeks behind schedule due to rain delays, Hutton said. The school is expected to serve 900 students in grades K–5 and relieve Creekside Forest and Timber Creek elementary schools, he said.
"Even though six weeks sounds like a lot, it's not going to impact the school significantly," Hutton said. "Right now the thing that is slowing us down is the weather. We can't get the roof finished because of the weather, and the paving [delays are] very weather-related. One of the difficulties is concrete delivery—we're still battling the concrete delivery."
The $16.5 million Wildwood campus is about three weeks behind schedule on construction at Northpointe Boulevard and Shaw Road in Tomball, Hutton said. Upon completion, the school's capacity will be 900 students for grades K–4.
In addition, construction on the $18 million Oakcrest campus is delayed about two weeks on Shaw Road, Hutton said. Oakcrest is planned to accommodate 900 students in grades 5–6 and relieve Northpointe Intermediate School.
Slated to open on time for the 2016–17 school year, Creekside Park is about four weeks behind schedule due to setbacks from 26 rain days, Hutton said. The $38 million school, located at Creekside Green Drive and Kuykendahl Road in The Woodlands, is expected to hold 1,500 students in grades 6–8 upon completion in August 2016, he said.
"Our hope is to have the football fields finished by June, so we'll have a year of growth on the fields before kids get out there and play," Hutton said. "Right now we're basically on schedule on that side of the field—it's really in building and utilities [that] we're behind schedule."
Bond sales
TISD plans to refund four series of bonds totaling $109.3 million from the years 2001–2009 on the week of Feb. 23 and close on the bond sales by March 23. When considering long-term projections, TISD Chief Financial Officer Jim Ross said the district could save $13.3 million that would have been needed for interest on bond payments.
"We watch the Bond Buyer Index to see if there's a time where we can basically refinance the bonds and save money," Ross said. "We did this exact same thing in 2011. What we're looking at is the savings on the long-term interest expense. It's one of the cost saving methods that I've utilized for years."
For a more in-depth look at TISD's growth and future outlook, read the March Tomball/Magnolia edition of Community Impact Newspaper.
