April board update: several projects on verge of beginning

At the school board meeting on April 15, Trustees learned work is progressing quickly on the new Career & Technical Education (CTE) high school. The district has received 95% of construction documents, a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) is expected to be presented to the school board in May, and groundbreaking is set for June.

Site prep, utility installation, and foundation work are all ongoing for the new middle school on South Tripp. District leaders recently met with leaders from Ector County on coordinating school construction with the widening of Tripp Avenue.

The Transition Learning Center’s construction documents have been sent to the City of Odessa for permitting, procurement is beginning now, and construction is on track to start in July.

Design development is nearly complete for the renovation of the Permian High School Auditorium. The work is anticipated to run from June 2025 through May 2026.

A contractor is being recommended to the board now for the new Permian HS JROTC facility. Construction could begin as early as this month and will likely last until January 2026.

There is no on-site activity at the Ag Farm yet, however the project is set to go out for bid at the end of this month (April). Construction could begin in June.

Technology projects: 16 schools are in the cabling process and 5 schools are in the equipment installation process for the new PA/Bells/Alarms/Clocks project. New surveillance cameras are now installed at Odessa HS, Permian HS, New Tech Odessa, Ector MS and Bowie MS. This project is 25% complete district wide. The new Genetec Web App is now deployed across all campuses giving surveillance camera users quick access by selecting a location on a campus map plus a live door monitoring feature with real-time alerts for responding to situations.

Regarding finances, about 5% of the bond funds have been spent with another 30% encumbered for specific purposes/projects. That is equal to about $150 million for the $424,263,000 approved by voters in November 2023.  

After the update presentation, Trustees voted 7-0 to approve purchases over $50,000 related to the bond. Two items on this list this month are $1.387 million to Mid-Tex of Midland, Inc. for construction of a firing range in the JROTC facility at Permian HS (the range uses airsoft weapons with rubber pellets to allow students to participate in JROTC’s marksmanship training); and $59,500 to Advanced Environmental Services for asbestos abatement for Burleson and Travis Elementary campuses.