Hallettsville ISD discuss potential bond projects, improvements

The Hallettsville ISD board of trustees held a special meeting to discuss school facility needs and a possible bond election in May.

The board reviewed five areas of need that will address a specific set of projects within each area/proposition.

Hallettsville ISD applied for a SAFE grant through the Texas Education Agency in late September; however, the grants have not been awarded to date. If the District is not awarded the SAFE grant or receives limited funding, then the District may call for Proposition 1 in a spring bond election, which will focus on safety and security measures at the school, including items like additional security cameras and the installation of an eight-foot fence at the elementary and junior high campuses as well as security gates at entrances to the school.

For added safety measures, the board also discussed closing parts of Ridge and Second streets during school hours. The board plans to take that request to the City of Hallettsville as the council makes final decisions on street closures and traffic control measures on city streets.

“This is a topic that came up during our construction meetings. Board members suggested that it would be nice if we had some sort of crossover that would prevent kids from being hurt crossing that road,” HISD superintendent Jo Ann Bludau said. “We have had some situations where staff members have been rear-ended backing out of parking spaces in front of the school. The intention is to reduce traffic in the best interest of our students.”

Proposition 2 will address some campus renovations and improvements at both the junior high and elementary campuses.

“On the west side of the main building, we were thinking of adding a fourth science lab,” junior high principal Marisa Maes said. “There is also no storage for any art projects and supplies, so we were thinking of adding an additional art room. We also want to add two more classrooms to address our growth.” Over the past 15 years, the population of HISD has grown from 864 students to 1,169, which is a 35% increase in student growth. Through the 2010 bond election, Hallettsville High School added classroom space, and through the 2014 bond election, Hallettsville Elementary added more classrooms.

However, the Junior High School has not had any classroom additions since 2006.

The gym, locker room, and dressing facilities adjacent to the stage for junior high physical education for grades 5-8 were originally constructed in 1957. The mini-gym, athletic dressing facilities, and coaches’ offices were added in 1992. Currently, the locker rooms and dressing facilities are inadequate for the number of junior high athletes and PE students who utilize that facility on a daily basis. High humidity in the junior high classrooms was also a concern addressed at the meeting and will likely be worked into the Prop 2 projects, Dr. Bludau said.

Proposition 3 addresses improvements to the District’s athletics facilities, including softball and baseball field improvements and construction of a gym, weight room, and dressing facilities as well as appropriate facilities for officials.

Proposition 4, if moved, will provide for new school buses. This will depend largely on if the district receives any grants to assist with new vehicles for their bus fleet. The District is planning to apply for a Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) grant in hopes of receiving funds for replacing old buses that have high mileage.

Proposition 5 focuses on technology updates and replacement of outdated equipment.

All these proposals are still up for discussion, school officials said. Nothing is yet final.

During the special meeting, the board also undesignated $30,000 that was originally designated as a match for a grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). However, since the district was not awarded an LCRA grant in the fall, Head Softball Coach Callie Kresta requested to redesignate those funds to be applied to the softball field improvements for the Spring 2024.