April 16, 2021 — Midland ISD has received results from its
facilities assessment, which the district will use to proactively plan for physical updates to elementary and secondary schools.
"This data will help us prioritize projects, including those that must be addressed immediately," shared Kellie Spencer, Chief Operations Officer. "What stands out to me as priorities are addressing mechanical systems, specifically HVAC, and fire safety systems."
The
assessment of educational facilities included structural evaluations of elements such as walls, roofs and floors; electrical and mechanical features; security; and accessibility. Bunche, Fasken and Yarbrough elementary schools were omitted because they are new facilities; each was constructed in 2015.
The study identified areas of needed improvement at every campus assessed. Thirty-one facilities each have a projected cost under $10 million, and the average across all facilities is $7.6 million.
"There is nothing unusual about the number of findings given the size of the district, the number of buildings maintained by the district and the age of those buildings," said Steve Hafer, Principal at architectural firm Huckabee, which conducted the study. "In fact, given these factors, the district's facilities are very well maintained and cared for."
Midland High, the oldest facility in the district, was found to have the greatest need by dollar value. Huckabee projected repair and update costs at $50 million. Lee had an estimated update cost of $28.6 million, about half of which was for ceiling, electrical and other repairs. Other schools at the top of the list included Lee Freshman and Alamo.
"While these findings are daunting, this comprehensive assessment of our current status will be very helpful to plan and align our priorities," Spencer said.
Huckabee's
assessment will be presented to the MISD Board of Trustees at their April meeting, 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 19, at the Bowie Fine Arts Academy auditorium. The meeting will be streamed live at
midlandisd.net/stream.