School Projects May Cost $3 – $4 Million
The Glasscock County ISD Board met in special session Jan. 26 and heard preliminary cost estimates of $3.1 million for some of the capital improvements it plans. New roofs, new air and heating systems, remodeling most bathrooms and a new vocational shop were included in the estimates. These improvements were part of a citizen advisory committee’s recommendations, with roofing topping the list. There was no discussion at this meeting of remodeling classrooms, improving technology, nor of transportation needs other than busses, all of which were also recommended by the advisory committee, and which presumably will be included in the total improvement project.
Estimated costs were given by Don Gibson of DSA Inc. a construction management firm the school has retained to oversee this project, and Bill Slavik, an architect who sometimes works with DSA. Estimates include construction management fees, but not architectural or engineering fees.
Installing metal roofing over existing campus roofs and replacing all heating and air conditioning systems at the school were estimated at slightly more than $2 million, including a $10,000 outside utilities allowance and $40,000 in contingency money. Colored, rather than “Galvalume” roofing would cost an additional $78,000. Galvalume roofing has a silver look, which dulls after about six months. Gibson said it fades less than colored metal.
Metal Roofing Planned
The roofing planned would be seamless metal, with no screws and no seams showing. There would be framing every five feet and cross bracing every eight feet. The new, pitched, roof would not present a weight problem, Gibson said.
A built-up type of roofing, using tar and gravel rather than metal, would cost approximately $360,000 less, but was not favored by the board. Such built-up roofing would last only 15 years compared to what board member Carl Hoelscher referred to as a life equal to the life of the building for the seamless metal type.
The same type metal roof for the “Complex” building was estimated separately at almost $197,000. The advisory committee had suggested the board examine ways to make that building more useful. Some ideas in that regard have included a moveable, hardwood floor and retractable bleachers, though these were not discussed at the Jan. 26 board meeting.
More than $70,000 was estimated for remodeling existing bathrooms in the high school, junior high and elementary school, another recommendation of the advisory committee. Gibson said the work was priced from the floor up, and includes replacing fixtures and using tile on floors and walls. He said boys’ and girls’ bathrooms in the high school, and possibly others as well, would lose one stall each, in order to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
A new vo/ag shop at the school is discussed in next section.
Preliminary drawings for the planned improvements are on display in the boardroom and available to the public.
In other action, the board accepted without comment John Petree’s resignation as secondary school principal, effective Feb. 1. Petree is said to have taken a job with the Region 18 Service Center at Terminal. He had been the principal since July 2003.