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Construction updates provided to Livingston ISD school board

From Enterprise Staff
Posted 10/30/24

October’s meeting of the LISD Board of Trustees recognized board members and student organizations and provided information on grants and construction projects Monday in the high school …

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Construction updates provided to Livingston ISD school board

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October’s meeting of the LISD Board of Trustees recognized board members and student organizations and provided information on grants and construction projects Monday in the high school library.

Livingston Superintendent Dr. Brent Hawkins provided the construction update, saying the baseball and softball field turf is a $2.1 million project that is around 90% complete. Work on the football stadium has yet to begin.

“The baseball plates are cut in, and only minor things are left to do in the project,” Hawkins said. “I’m told the softball field is prettier. The slats in the outfield fence need to be replaced, or we could add new windscreens at some point in the future.

“The football stadium, which is a $16 million project, is still waiting to begin. We put in for the city permit on Sept. 23, but as of today, we are still waiting for the permit. Jeremy Richardson received city permission to remove the underbrush and started that today. The holdup is getting water to the facility. The decision makers on the permit have not been able to execute the permit. I know that this frustrates folks, but the district is agreeable even though it may cost additional money in the contingency to execute the project. We are waiting for them to make a decision so that we can move forward.”

Schneider Electric provided an energy audit update to the board. The company’s Brett Hoelting discussed the two-scope project that will focus on the LED retrofit across the district, replacing 9,000 fixtures. The second focus will be two trouble areas of remote operations at Creekside Elementary and Livingston High School thermostats. The plan is for remotes to be installed during the summer months when the buildings are empty. The lighting projects will take a six-week period, installed during overnight operations with a timeline of February through May. The savings of these two projects are said to pay for themselves.

“Lisa Pearson saves the district a lot of money,” Hawkins said. “The new automation will be a big benefit to the district.”

Hoelting said the lighting will carry a 10-year warranty, and Schneider will guarantee the project for 20 years with the lifespan of the products.

Hawkins also presented information from the GEAR UP grant.

“The LHS Class of 2025 is finishing up with the benefits of the first grant,” Hawkins said. “I feel that it takes two to three cycles to impact the culture of the community. We have a great opportunity for our students through the GEAR UP grant. Twenty grants were awarded in the nation. There are two types of grants ‘GEAR UP All In,’ and the one we were awarded is the ‘GEAR UP Mindset.’

“We had a group of five LISD representatives who attended the GEAR UP kickoff in Austin last week. It included LHS Lead Academic Advisor Diane Houston, Curriculum Coordinator Angela Matterson, LJH Principal Jared Nettles, and LHS Principal Dr. Derrick James,” Hawkins said, “The University of Texas Chancellor wants to impact all areas of the state, and it is reflected by the location of the grant recipients. The current grant is only for one grade level, and that is our current seventh graders. The $32 million grant is shared with districts in Coldspring, Lufkin, Aldine, and Livingston. We are challenged to look at what we can do to bolster the rigor of the curriculum, so that students can make choices that affect their future. They are encouraging districts to offer algebra for all in the eighth grade. GEAR UP is an acronym for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.

“The most expensive camp offered to GEAR UP students was a construction camp at Texas A&M at a cost of $250,000. These students get a lot of exposure to engineering, architecture, and construction science by visiting sites in New Mexico and Seattle and looking at a lot of different structures. One group toured the Tesla plant. Once our new GEAR UP cohort reaches high school, they will be offered a college bus tour. It gave them a chance to know what’s available to them. Another big aspect of the grant is tutoring. Students meet with a lot of colleges and the military who visit the LHS campus.

“There is a budgeted amount that we have to match to meet the terms of the grant, but it is for things that we are already doing to help students have success on the TSIA exam. I’ve always felt that it will take two to three cycles of GEAR UP to help get improvements in culture to be ready and be on track for more students to reach post-secondary success.”

The meeting opened with the Livingston High School FCCLA officers, Madison Evans, who serves as Region 4 Vice President of Programs, and Sofia Fitzgerald, the Region 4 President. They gave an overview of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, a career and technical student organization. They shared about opportunities offered to LHS student members and success last school year, with 19 LHS teams competing at the state level and five teams advancing to the national competition in Seattle. The LHS chapter has had three consecutive years of national competitors.

Hawkins expressed appreciation to campus principals on behalf of the board for Principal Appreciation Month.

“I know that no two days are the same. In our journey to transform lives in our school district, you are all very important players. You guys are on the front line, and you dedicate hours and hours to contributing to the district’s success. We are on the trajectory to do great things.”

The board honored Scott Paske for his eight years of serving as an LISD board member.

Approved in consent agenda items was the purchase of two new vans for $120, 000 using CTE funds, as well as an amendment to allow additional voting locations.