Marshall ISD

Marshall ISD School Board asked Superintendent to visit with some architects about MHS facilities.

• Is the structure and foundation strong?

• What can be done to upgrade the Career and Technology Program options?

• In their opinion, what renovations would make MHS competitive with other high schools to businesses and families?

• Review fine arts spaces for upgrades (not touched since 1980)

• Is there a way to incorporate a space for an auxiliary gym? 

• Remove the 1980 wall paneling in classrooms and move wiring into the walls.

• Do not touch the auditorium and current gym, these have been recently renovated.

Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services (ASAS), Maintenance Director, and MHS Principal tour MHS with two architecture firms, twice each.

Each architecture firm provides the Superintendent with initial estimates of costs for all items, as well as ideas for the upgrades.

One of the architecture firms states that they cannot provide services for the job due to losing employees during COVID. This firm also happened to provide the higher estimates.

Superintendent and ASAS begin working with GLS Architecture Firm on specific costs for specific MHS projects:

• Auxiliary gym

• Band, Choir and Orchestra Hall

• Career and Technology Spaces

• Commons/Lunch Room

• Core Classrooms

• Exterior of building

• Furniture

• Library/Media Center

Superintendent began collaboration with SAMCO Capital

• Charge from MISD School  Board: What is the potential for calling for a bond and not having a tax increase?

• Answer: As of September 2022, a very conservative estimate based on taxable value of $2.8 billion in ‘22/’23 with an interest rate at 4.5%, $35 million could be called for with no tax increase.

GLS Architecture Firm provides specific costs for MHS renovation

• Per Superintendent's request, costs were built to stay under the $35 million.

• First specific cost estimates received at a total between $26.3 million and $29.8 million.

MISD Board Members give 63 names of a diverse group of Marshall citizens to the Superintendent to develop the MHS Facilities Committee.

• Invitations were sent to 63 community members and MISD staff to take part in a MHS Facilities Study Group that would ultimately give recommendations to the MISD School Board.

• 42 people responded to attend the MHS Facilities meetings.

Superintendent contacts LAN -  Project Management group used  on the 2015 bond.

1st MHS Facilities Meeting

• Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services and MISD Strategic Plan Director led the first meeting with an overview of pre -work that had been completed by MISD. A full tour of MHS allowed the committee members to see all areas of the high school.

• Individual members of the committee were asked to rank the areas of need in priority.

• GLS (Architect); LAN (Project Management Group); SAMCO (Finance Broker) attended the meeting, giving factual  input as needed.

2nd MHS Facilities Meeting

• Representatives form GLS and LAN were present to begin showing possible renderings and cost estimates to the committee.

• Committee members asked about additional projects that they believed needed to be added to the project.

• The committee voted on what they felt “consensus” should be.

• The individual committee members were asked to rank the areas of need in priority for a 2nd time.

• The committee asked if they could tour other high school campuses in the area.

The Superintendent arranged for the committee members to tour Hallsville High School and Longview High School.

3rd MHS Facilities Meeting

• The members of the committee that toured Hallsville High School (HHS) and Longview High School (LHS) provided information to the larger committee about what they viewed on their tour, including:

  • HHS New Build with CTE Wing (Bond 2014)

  • HHS Added Fine Arts Wing (Bond 2019)

  • LHS Built in 1976 (Bond 1974)

  • LHS CTE Building (Bond 2008)

  • LHS Fine Arts Building (Bond 2019)

• Brian Grubbs with SAMCO Capital presented information on a bond including the estimate that $35 million could be chosen with no tax increase.

• The MHS Facilities Committee voted 2 times in making a decision on the final cost of the project and the rankings of the various projects that would be presented by their spokesperson, Mandy Abraham, at the January Board Meeting.

• The final vote was to give the board a list of areas that funding needed  to be allocated toward and the amount of the bond should fall between $40 million-$45 million. 

• GLS and LAN were tasked with developing new cost estimates based on the additional items that the MHS Facilities Committee had added from the original costs.

MISD Regular Board Meeting

• MHS Facilities Committee Spokesperson, presented to the board as directed by the MHS Facilities Committee.

• GLS presented their original cost estimates at a total between $26.3 million and $29.8 million  with an additional $1.4 million - $1.8 million due to the added priorities. 

• LAN presented their cost estimates which were $40 million.

• The MISD Board asked that GLS and LAN work together to determine a more accurate estimate, ensuring that all soft costs and construction costs were estimated correctly and to provide that information to the board within 2 weeks.

MISD Special Called Board Meeting

• GLS and LAN provided one agreed upon cost estimate of  $36.8 million with an additional $3 million estimated for:

  • Sprinkler System

  • Fire Alarm

  • Wayfinding Signage

  • Additional Flooring

• The MISD Board directed the Superintendent to meet with Brian Grubbs (SAMCO) to determine if the newest Property Value information received by MISD from HCAD would have any effect on the bond amount.

• Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services is to investigate whether a new Sprinkler System is required.