The San Marcos CISD board of trustees on Monday was presented with options for what will become of its current administration building after two air-quality tests showed parts of the building needed to be improved or renovated. Two air quality tests performed in July and September came back positive for mold. The companies that performed the tests recommended remediation be performed as soon as possible. Options presented to the board included gutting the structure, adding another story to the building, completely demolishing it or relocating it to another site.
  • Option 1: $2.46 million Would involve renovating the existing building and its parking lots as well as removing the portables
  • Option 2: $8.92 million Would renovate and expand the existing administration building, adding a second story to the building and providing new and renovated parking
  • Option 3: $9.41 million Would demolish the entire administration building and construct a new, two-story building with new parking in its place
  • Option 4: $9.29 million Would construct a new administration building and new parking on a district-owned site on Hunter Road, where the transportation, technology and food service departments are located.
  • Option 5: No cost estimate Find an existing site, purchase it and renovate it as the new administration building.
Many of the trustees said they would like the administration building to remain at its current site on South LBJ Drive and would like to have all departments co-located on the site. "Having everybody scattered all over the district is not good for our administration," trustee Margie Villalpando said. Trustee Kathy Hansen said she did not want to rule out relocating the administration building to the district's Hunter Road location. She said she wanted to look at the demolition cost and a timeline if the board chose to demolish the building and construct a new one on Hunter Road. She said she has also heard complaints that the South LBJ Drive building is hard to find. Trustees asked for more precise cost estimates, a timeline and financing options before voting on an option. Assistant Superintendent Karen Griffith said the expenses could be covered by SMCISD's fund balance, or savings account, which has about $35 million in it.