Published: May 06, 2008 07:48 pm         

Voters will decide Vidor school bond fate Saturday

By Tommy Mann Jr.

The Orange Leader



VIDOR — With election day fast approaching on Saturday, the Vidor Independent School District is making sure potential voters are well informed.

Robert Madding, VISD superintendent, provided bond information to a small gathering of area business owners, citizens and members of the Vidor Chamber of Commerce at the chamber’s monthly luncheon on Tuesday.

“This school bond provides plans to acquire, construct, renovate, or improve numerous facilities within the school district,” Madding said. “Each campus will see changes or improvements if this bond is approved by voters.”

In March, the VISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved the measure calling for a $61.6 million bond election this month. The bond is split into two separate sections with proposition 1 consisting of a majority of the district improvements estimated at $46.1 million, while proposition 2 is estimated at $15.5 million.

Proposition 1 consists of $46.4 million worth of improvements and repairs to district facilities, as well as the construction of a new administration building, which has a cost projection of more than $2.5 million alone.

If approved, the new administration building would be constructed at a site to be determined and would cover approximately 14,000 square feet.

Although the high school boasts some of the newest additions to the district, such as a 1,800 capacity gymnasium and a state-of-the-art library, much more work is planned at the campus, if Proposition 1 is passed. The bond also includes calling for the construction of a new, two-story building to house classrooms and the upgrading of the vocational areas on the campus as well.

Proposition 1 also calls for the construction of an all new, central district support facility on Orange Street, across from the high school, in an effort to replace and consolidate several district departments, including the AIM Center High School, school district police, Homebound studies, adaptive physical education office and storage and more.

Improvements at Vidor Elementary under Proposition 1 would include new classroom additions, a remodeled front entrance designed to provide better security for students, new bus drive, covered canopy and new parking, which would both be located in the rear of the campus in what is now the back section of the transportation bus parking area.

Construction of a new gymnasium was completed earlier this school year at the campus, and the demolition of the older girls gymnasium is expected to be performed over the summer.

A projected $2.9 million in improvements and renovations is being sought for Vidor Elementary.

Oak Forest Elementary is in need of a new library, classrooms for Pre-kindergarten students to replace portable buildings and a gymnasium, complete with a stage, to serve as a gymatorium for school functions. Parking and driveway improvements would be included as well.

The current library would be remodeled to accommodate administration, and renovated front entries to better security of the campus.

Nearly $3.5 million will be needed if proposition 1 of the bond passes to make these improvements to the Oak Forest campus.

Pine Forest Elementary, which is located in north Vidor, could see improvements and construction projects for a new cafeteria, a gymatorium, library, driveway and parking.

New classrooms are needed to replace portable building which are current being used to house Pre-Kindergarten children and the choir room. The current plan calls for a remodeling of the cafeteria into Pre-K and choir class rooms, once the new cafeteria is built.

A total of $5.8 million in improvements or renovations is being sought for Pine Forest.

Improvements slated for Vidor Middle School would include a classroom addition, which would house areas such as computer labs, art classes and music rooms.

Major changes are also slated for the parent pickup area which will relocate traffic from the heavily traveled lanes of State Highway 12, plus a covered canopy.

“The school board decided to start work on the new parent pickup areas and a queuing lanes to get vehicles off of Highway 12 at Oak Forest and the middle school, as soon as possible,” Madding said. “We know eventually the underpass at Main Street (and Interstate 10) will be closed, and traffic will be diverted down North Tram, which is by the junior high. So, we feel this needed to be done there too. The district will use money from the fund balance to cover these costs.”

Madding said he expects construction of the new parent pickup areas and queuing lanes to be completed by the start of next school year. The

Changes to faculty parking would be in store, too, as plans have been made to create an expanded parking lot to share with faculty of Oak Forest Elementary, which is immediately adjacent to the middle school.

A modest $2.6 million is needed to make the necessary changes at this campus, which houses students in fifth and sixth grades.

Vidor Junior High School, much of which was constructed prior to 1970, could see the most extensive work from proposition 1 with the construction of a new classroom building meant to replace the structure parallel to the feeder road. The new, two-story structure would house science and computer labs.

A new gym and library are part of the current Proposition 1 list, as is a new gymnasium, while renovating the existing gym, and the dressing rooms and stage area for art, drama and music departments.

Upgrades to the administration facilities on the campus, plus improving the entry of the campus by removing the covered canopy and building a new one which would be attached to the main building, plus expanding parking and improving drives for better traffic circulation are also part of the estimated $11.3 million slated for the junior high.

Improvements for other district departments, such as replacing the existing warehouse for purchasing and construction of a new roof at transportation, would also be included under Proposition 1.

Proposition 2 consists of more than $15 million in district-wide improvements, including the remodeling of the nurse’s office, teachers lounge and restrooms at Vidor Elementary, while Oak Forest additions would include improvements to the Life Skills restrooms.

Renovations at Pine Forest called under Proposition 2 would include renovations of the nurse’s office, storage facilities and new restrooms, while Vidor Middle School could see improvements to the Life Skills restrooms, nurse’s office, a pavilion for physical education and classroom renovations.

A big addition being included under Proposition 2 at Vidor High School is new turf for the football stadium, along with an expansion of the current auditorium facility.

Madding also said tax rates would increase if voters approve Saturday’s bond election, but rates would remain lower than those in 2000.

According to information provided by Madding, the 2000 ad valorem tax rate for the school district was $1.593 per $100 valuation, while in 2007 the tax rate was only $1.22 per $100 valuation.

If approved, Madding said the estimated tax rate in 2011 would be $1.5643 per $100 valuation, which is still slightly less than what taxpayers were required to pay in 2000.

Senior citizens ages 65 and older, as well as those who are disabled and have filed the appropriate paperwork, would not see a tax rate increase from the approval of the bond election.

Dozens School districts across the state of Texas, including the Little Cypress-Mauriceville Consolidated Independent School District, are holding bond elections on Saturday and are seeking more than $7.64 billion in improvements and construction.



Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com

     

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.