GISD School board pores over facilities report

The Gonzales ISD school board met for a special called meeting Thursday, July 27 at the GISD Administration building. 

GISD Superintendent Dr. Elmer Avellaneda went over the facilities report with school board members in regards to a potential bond election in November as well as the community input meeting set for Thursday, Aug. 3. 

“This information is the foundation, it’s not solidified. It's basically ‘here's what we've come up with and board members, we want y'all to review it.’ We want your feedback, we just need your guidance. For me, as a superintendent, I need y'all to steer me in the direction that this board would like to see,” Avellaneda said. 

Jerry Vaughn of egion 13 Education Service Center (ESC) spoke to the board at last Thursday’s meeting and went over data while taking in comments from the board. 

“This is your school district as your kid; this is your project. We don't have a dog in the hunt on where you go, we just want to help guide where you want to go correctly, wherever that is,” Vaughn said. 

Region 13 ESC’s goal is help schools that are doing projects to be “reasonable, accountable, transparent and efficient.” Vaughn said. 

Vaughn went over the potential new high school, new athletic complex and safety upgrades.

“You are in that focus planning phase right now. We're trying to get you focused on what you want to do. And so when I say the term ‘scope,’ scope, to me, means what is the project,” Vaughn said. 

Vaughn went over state guidelines with the board regarding land that is greater than five acres, which must include performing a cultural survey.

“What we're trying to prevent is — if you have something that's culturally significant, and it takes the Historical Commission to make that call, by the way, state law says so … if it’s significant, they potentially could stop working the area of your site, if you were in the middle of construction, it would be extremely costly,” Vaughn said. 

Vaughn added if they learn anything “too surprising,” they know pretty quickly. 

“So, I don't want you to panic about this. I do think it's important and responsible for us to do; that's why we suggested that.” Vaughn said. 

The board will discuss more about the potential bond election at the special called meeting tnight, Thursday, Aug. 3 at the GISD Administration building, where the whole community can give their opinions about the bond issue.

In other board business, the board approved one other agenda item: 

--approved the delegate/delegate alternate to the TASB Delegate Assembly.