During the March 23 meeting of the Texarkana ISD Board of Trustees, Eric Horstman of Corgan Associates reviewed the results of a district facility assessment.
“This type of study looks at the physical facilities in a district with regard to condition, capacity, educational adequacy and age. It is used to help develop a long-range facility plan to address needs in a district,” Horstman said.
TISD Superintendent Dr. Doug Brubaker said that the study supports the district’s Imagine 2026 Strategic Planning Initiative.
“Over the past six months, TISD students, parents, educators, and community leaders have helped to develop a new vision for our district, steps to take toward realizing it, and goals that will measure our progress along the way,” Brubaker said. “The findings of this facility assessment will help us to align our resources to strategic goals and identify emerging needs more effectively.”
Horstman noted that the facility assessment scores are not related in any way to the academic quality of a school, and he said that no safety issues were observed during the study that would require use of a building to be discontinued immediately. He added that scores were tabulated in several different domains related to the overall quality of each building. These areas included architectural envelope; civil engineering and site parameters; observed structural conditions; mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems; educational adequacy and technology. These individual scores were then combined into one weighted aggregate score called a facility condition index, or FCI.
“When we look at a building that has an FCI at or below 65, it often indicates that the facility has reached the end of its useful life in terms of systems, materials, and educational adequacy,” Horstman said. He added, “That is the point at which the cost to repair exceeds the cost to replace.”
TISD buildings with the lowest composite scores in the study included Paul Laurence Dunbar Early Education Center with a 62, Goree Academic Learning Center with a 63, Highland Park Elementary with a 64, Theron Jones Early Literacy Center with a 64, and Spring Lake Park Elementary with a 65. Buildings with the highest scores included Waggoner Creek with a 96, the Sixth Grade Center at Texas Middle School with a 95, and Martha & Josh Morriss Mathematics and Engineering Elementary with a 88.
Board President Fred Norton said that the assessment reflects the district’s commitment to data-driven decision making. “As a district engaged in long-term planning, part of doing our work involves going through a needs assessment process. This includes working with district partners and industry experts to determine the financial position, demographic trends, and condition of facilities within our school system,” said Board President Fred Norton. “This process reflects the Board’s commitment to the strategic planning process, due diligence, the development of a master facilities plan, and careful consideration of feedback from the community about what it wants for its students,” Norton said.
In other business, the administration updated the Board of the implementation on the $3.1 million in grant funds awarded to TISD through the Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports (TCLAS) program to support students and staff. The Board also approved a memorandum of understanding with Texas A&M-Texarkana to create paid year-long teacher candidate residencies, along with an order declaring unopposed candidates Elected/Cancellation of Trustee Election. With all candidates being unopposed by the February 22, 2022 deadline, the May 7, 2022 Trustee election has been cancelled. The complete agenda for the March 23, 2022 TISD Board of Trustees Meeting can be found at this link or on the TISD website.
The next meeting for the TISD Board of Trustees will be Wednesday, April 27, 2022.
