Heard stood before the MISD board of trustees Jan. 21 to request approval for a proposal to revamp the building using remaining funds from the 2015 bond. There are about $2.8 million left in bond funds, including leftover interest money, according to the district.
“It’s going to be a very functional facility that [our athletes] could go to every day,” he said.
The project involves reskinning the building, or removing old metal and resurfacing it with new metal; fixing drainage and roofing; and installing additional lighting. Reskinning would cost $56,200, and the electrical work would cost $8,800, Heard said.
The school's baseball and softball teams have already raised about 10%-12% of the total cost and have purchased turf, he said.
The project would give MHS baseball and softball students an indoor practice facility on-site and allow them to practice technique during their athletics period, Heard said.
“In the beginning, it was functional. We were on the block schedule; athletics was at the end of the day; we were able to make it work,” he said. “Well, many years have passed ... It’s become [a situation] where the student athletes in the softball and baseball programs don’t have an opportunity to go out and practice their skills during the period.”
However, the board tabled the item, as projects over $50,000 require a minimum of three bids, district officials said. Heard said in a followup interview that he will bring the item back to the board once bid requirements are met.
