BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD HEARS ASSESSMENT OF JR. HIGH SCHOOL

  

The Brenham School Board will soon have to decide whether to repair or replace the current Jr. High School campus.  Grady Slaydon with Texas Association of School Boards Facility Services presented the board with an overview of the facility during their noon Monday meeting.  The main building was originally the High School when it was completed in 1963.  Several other buildings have been constructed around it for district use over the years including the band hall, the English and Science buildings, the rubber gym, and the tax office.  Slaydon said the assessment showed that $44 million in repairs are needed to the campus and to replace it all would cost $69 million.  Most of the issues are with the main building including foundation problems, the elevator and other facilities not meeting ADA requirements and the roof and HVAC systems needing to be replaced due to their age.  Slaydon told the board the most districts look at replacing a facility when the repair costs exceed 50 percent of the replacement cost.  The trustees now have to come up with a plan that considers current construction costs, the economy, and building options.

The board also heard a report about blended learning and the Raise Your Hand Texas grant application that the district has entered.  Blended Learning is a process where a student learns at a pace they determine from both teacher and online material.  The district is one of the 30 finalists for the $300,000 grant to be awarded by Raise Your Hand Texas.  Districts of all different sizes are competing for the grant that will be awarded to up to 20 of them.

The trustees also approved an anti-vaping resolution.  E-cigs, vapes, and regular cigarettes are strictly prohibited on all BISD campuses.  The district considers them to be a distraction to learning and a health hazard to students.  A copy of the anti-vaping resolution can be viewed here: Vaping Resolution