Georgetown ISD selects builder for its 11th elementary

Georgetown ISD trustees on Monday, November 14, approved contracts for three 2021 bond projects.

The district approved a guaranteed maximum price of $49,316,979 for construction of Elementary School No. 11 by American Constructors. Located in Santa Rita Ranch near Ronald Reagan Boulevard and State Highway 29, construction is scheduled to begin this winter, according to Construction Director Jimmy Jones.

Lochridge-Priest, Inc. was selected as the recommended bidder to replace all HVAC equipment at Ford Elementary School and Forbes Middle School at a cost of $5,182,158. The project is scheduled for summer 2023 completion.

WCR Construction is the recommended bidder for partial roof replacement at Georgetown High School for $3,681,255. The project will replace the roof in the last remaining areas that have not been previously replaced. This project will also add roof ladders in areas to allow maintenance staff safe access to equipment such as air-conditioning units, exhaust fans and roof vents. Additionally, all sealant and caulk joints on the exterior of the building will be replaced as part of the waterproofing scope of work in this project.

District Improvement Plans

Trustees Monday also approved the District Improvement Plan for the current school year.

District and Campus Improvement Plans are required by the Texas Education Code and are developed in accordance with GISD’s District of Innovation Plan. Trustees approved individual 2022-23 Campus Improvement Plans in October.

Wes Vanicek, chief strategist for assessment and feedback, said district improvement plan goals are aligned to the four goals included in the GISD Strategic Plan. They are:

• Goal 1: Develop a future-ready learning experience that reflects student voice, choice and ownership.

• Goal 2: Engage the community to become champions and advocates for student success and the future of the district.

• Goal 3: Cultivate an adaptive system of empoweredleadership wherecollaboration and problem-solving are natural behaviors.

• Goal 4: Establish an innovative culture that encourages risk-taking, diverse thinking and meaningful exploration.

The plan includes strategies to achieve each goal by meeting these performance objectives:

• Board goals of Learner Profile and social emotional learning

• Literacy and numeracy for third and eighth grades

• College, career and military readiness

• Personalized approaches to learning

• Development of learning competencies

• Community-based accountability

• Community engagement and stakeholder participation

• Leadership development

• Quality professional learning

• Collaborative problem solving and work processes Trustees also approved a Targeted Improvement Plan for Frost Elementary School based upon performance of different student groups over time and test scores from 2018-19.

Frost is identified as needing “comprehensive support and improvement” according to Mr. Vanicek. He said Frost’s plan is monitored continuously and collaboratively by GISD and representatives of the Texas Education Agency and Region 13.

Following a diagnostic visit from Region 13 personnel last school year, the following “essential actions” were identified:

• Compelling and aligned vision, mission, goals, values focused on a safe environment and high expectations.

• Daily use of high quality instructional materials aligned to instructional planning calendars and interim and formative assessments.

• Data-driven instruction. In other action, trustees approved:

• An expenditure of $405,955 to American Constructors to install temporary classrooms at Wolf Ranch Elementary School. The scope of work includes connecting utilities (water, sewer, electrical, data/fiber, fire alarm) to one new temporary classroom building; and providing utility connections for the possibility of two additional temporary classroom buildings in summer 2023. Trustees approved purchase of the temporary classrooms in August. Opened in 2020, Wolf Ranch is nearing its capacity of about 850 students.

• Authorization to pursue a land purchase of approximately 1.74 acres in the district’s northwest quadrant. According to Mr. Jones, the purchase will improve access to the district’s bus barn, a future high school site and the future Parmer Ranch middle school site.

Student recognitions

Trustees recognized the following students: • East View High School student Antonio Pena, who qualified for the November 5 State Cross Country Meet, finishing eighth and earning a spot on the All-State team. He currently holds the East View High School’s 5k cross country record of 15:24.

• GHS Boys Cross Country Team members, who were District Champions with five scoring runners finishing in the top 10. TheywontheRegionalChampionshipwith Joseph Wienen, Nolan House and Brooks Floyd finishing in the top 15 earning All-Region honors. At the State Meet, the team finished in fifth place. Joseph Wienen was the sixth overall individual earning All-State honors. Team members are Seniors Brooks Floyd and Carson Jarvis; Juniors Joseph Wienen, Nolan House, Ryder Case andCharlesJohnson;FreshmanZacMangum, Xavier Richardson and Buck Brown.

• The Girls Cross Country Team members were District Champions with a perfect score of 15 as the five scoring runners finished in first-fifth places. The girls were Regional runner-up and then finished in eighth place as a team at the State Championship. Mckenzie Bailey, Dennie Decker and Ava Sieckmann earned All-Region Honors placing in the top 15. Mckenzie cappedoff herseasonasthe5ACrossCountry State Champion. She is the first runner in school history to win an individual state title in cross country. As a member of the GHS cross country team she has run sub 18 minutes for 5,000 meters 14 times, eight of those times were in her eight races this season. She is a two-time district champion and two-time region champion. She finished in the top 10 at the State Championships all four years - fourth, fourth, sixth, and first. Team members are Seniors Mckenzie Bailey, Itzel Fernandez and MaryMac Decker; Juniors Ava Sieckmann, Dennie Decker, Emily Morales and Ximena Almada; Freshman Melia Flowers, Valeria Fernandez and Batise’ Harvey.