Eanes ISD assesses facility needs for potential spring bond

As part of an ongoing discussion surrounding a future $110 million-$130 million bond, the Eanes ISD board of trustees reviewed a presentation recommending $64.56 million for district facility improvements at the Nov. 29 school board meeting.

Recommendations are broken down into three categories, with the first representing the most pressing concerns for the district to tackle through either approved bond funds or maintenance and operations funds. These categories are subject to change as discussion on the potential bond continues.

“As our buildings age, their infrastructure and systems age as well. There are a lot of infrastructure needs that need to be replaced,” said Jeremy Trimble, assistant superintendent of operations and planning.

In the breakdown provided to the board, the largest line item marked as a priority allotted $11.94 million for site refurbishments at multiple campuses, including parking lot pavement repairs and restriping; site drainage and erosion improvements; and campus-level improvements for Eanes Elementary and West Ridge Middle schools.

The second-largest line item marked as a district priority involves partial roof replacements and repairs for several campuses and structures, coming out to $9.1 million. The third- and fourth-largest line items allot $7.75 million to heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements and $7.17 million for outdoor activity surface replacement at several campuses.

Additionally, several suggestions made to the board by the Bond Advisory Committee were considered less pressing but still necessary upgrades before the next bond cycle in 2027. Among these recommendations was $7.53 million for facility refurbishments at every campus, the installation of covered awnings at pickup/drop-off areas and bus lanes for $3.69 million and campus kitchen expansions for $4 million.

If the district decides to move forward with a bond, a bond election could be held in May or November. The bond will not increase the tax rate for residents, district documents show. The full slideshow presentation is available here, and a recording of the Nov. 29 meeting in full is available here.