Published: May 28, 2009 08:53 pm      

Orangefield ISD to begin summer projects

ORANGEFIELD — The Board of Trustees for the Orangefield Independent School District is eyeing possible growth as numerous projects are being planned.

According to Philip Welch, Orangefield ISD superintendent, the school board approved several budget amendments for projects slated to begin in June.

“The board approved $100,000 worth of projects which we will do this summer,” Welch said. “Many deal with improvements or additions to the football field, baseball field and softball field, and around some of the campuses.”

Projects include the addition of new ticket booths at the football field, baseball and softball fields, plus the construction of a press box for the baseball and softball fields.

Welch also said the stands on the visitors side of the football field would receive handicap accessible seating to accommodate fans with disabilities.

Other projects include the remodeling of a classroom at Orangefield High School to create a new nurse’s clinic; installation of fencing at the high school to separate a building from the parking lot for security purposes; and the installation of additional lighting in the back of the parking lot at Orangefield Elementary.

The school board has also approved the hiring of Mark Magnuson and Associates, Inc., to prepare some preliminary cost estimates for the district on a Life Skills project.

In a school board meeting earlier this spring, the Board of Trustees discussed options of either renovating specific Life Skills facilities throughout the district or constructing new facilities. Magnuson’s hiring is just the next phase of the possible project.

“Mr. Magnuson will work with the district and do some preliminary work for us,” Welch explained. “He will let us know what the costs might be if we decided to renovate certain facilities, or, if we would be better off constructing new facilities. It’s all part of the cost estimate process and really is very preliminary.”

Welch also said Orangefield ISD has decided to create a new position to help reduce truancy issues within the school district.

“In the past, we have had many people dealing with this matter,” Welch added. “We’ve had assistant principals, and we’ve worked with Judge (Derry) Dunn, but we felt we were using too many resources for the same thing.”

Welch said the district has created an Attendance Officer position, and this person will be responsible for addressing excessive student absences. Chad Jenkins, who is an ag teacher for the school district, will also serve as the new attendance officer.

Welch said the district’s goal for school year attendance is 96 percent, and the district is always within reach of that goal but has not achieved it.

“Our attendance is usually around 95 percent every year,” Welch said. “If we could just raise our attendance one more percent, than that would generate an additional $91,000 in state funding for our district. We think this will help us improve attendance.”



Tommy Mann Jr. is a reporter for The Orange Leader. He can be reached at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com