Friendswood ISD facilities spared by Hurricane Nicholas, and more district updates

While neighborhoods to the east did not fare as well during Hurricane Nicholas, Friendswood ISD’s facilities were mostly unharmed by the storm.

Crews were able to repair all windowsill and roof leaks, and remove all debris, in about six hours, said Erich Kreiter, executive director of facilities and construction, during a Sept. 15 board of trustees meeting.

He said all damage was “nothing significant, nothing major,” although the fieldhouse roof and fence at the tennis courts did sustain some damage.

Bond funds and future bond projects will assist in repairing some damage, he added. More than $16 million of the $128 million bond voters passed in 2020 is set aside for districtwide priority maintenance.

Other business:

• FISD trustees voted to increase the substitute pay scale Sept. 15 to build the district’s substitute pool, support staff and focus on instructional continuity. This increase puts the district in line with surrounding ISDs and their substitute pay rates; the new hourly rates were made effective Sept. 1. The projected cost is about $57,500, not including the additional $10 per day for long-term teaching assignments and $5 per day for aide assignments.
• Trustees approved the addition of six nurses’ aides for fiscal year 2021-22 during the meeting. This will cost the district a total of about $127,000, with the cost of each new aide at $21,160, per board documents.
• The board approved the establishment of FISD’s 2021-22 School Safety Advisory Committee on Sept. 15. The committee must meet at least once per semester and once in the summer to provide the board with recommendations for updates to their district’s emergency operations plans. This 30-person committee must include law enforcement, emergency management officials, school board members, teachers, administrators and others. The committee is tentatively planning to hold three public meetings this school year at 6 p.m. in the FISD boardroom on Nov. 16, March 9 and June 21. Click here to view its members.