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A. Facilities Planning and Construction
B. Maintenance
C. Custodial Operations
D. Energy Management

FINDING

A facilities needs assessment is conducted periodically by school districts to identify needed construction and facilities improvements and to identify potential code violations; to ensure compliance with new and existing regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act; and to establish school educational and operational space guidelines using minimum state standards as a starting point for classrooms and common areas such as cafeterias and libraries.

All asbestos has been removed from school facilities except in the basement of the administration building. The district is in compliance with all other laws governing facilities access except for the code violations noted earlier in this chapter.

MPISD has had two assessments of its facilities needs. The first was performed by a local architect in 1989 and served as the basis of the scope of the construction and renovation projects and costs included in the three bond issues. The second was conducted in 1995 by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), which provided the basis for the recent major renovations and use of portable buildings at each campus. TASB presented its assessment to a facilities task force formed by MPISD. The task force established four priority groups based upon the TASB assessment (Exhibit 5-7).

Exhibit 5-7
Priorities of the MPISD Facilities Task Force
Priority Description
First Provide facilities for future growth and overcrowding
Second Removal of portable buildings
  Cost effective/economical solutions
Third Plumbing systems at capacity
  Future configuration of sixth grade
  Congested areas (e.g., auto/bus loading)
Fourth Emergency systems
  Library/cafeteria overcrowding
  Campus security
  Aging heating/cooling systems
  Middle school overcrowding
  Inadequate lighting
  Electrical upgrades
  Intercoms
  Counselors' areas
Source: MPISD Facility Plan, 1995 and TASB.

The task force established as the district's top priority the construction of three new schools: a 5th-6th grade school, a 7th-8th grade school, and a K-4th grade school (Exhibit 5-8).

Exhibit 5-8
First-Priority Recommendations
MPISD Facilities Task Force
Facility Estimated Cost
5th-6th grade school $5,015,885
7th-8th grade school $6,603,300
K-4th grade school $5,201,658
Total $16,820,843
Source: MPISD Facility Plan, 1995 and TASB.

The construction of the 7th-8th grade school, Mt. Pleasant Jr. High School, has been completed. The district did not construct the other two schools because of a lack of bond money. Instead, it addressed the capacity needs due to overcrowding through a major renovation of Corprew Intermediate School (12 new classrooms), construction of the Child Development Center to move Headstart and pre-K students to that facility, and modifications to the grade levels at each school resulting in three K-2 facilities, and one each for grades 3-4, 5-6, 7-8.

Specific projects in the remaining three priority groups were not identified in the TASB assessment. Instead, the assessment identifies conditions in each school that must be addressed such as wall and foundation cracks, leaking roofs, carpet needing replacement, and restroom facilities needing repair. Using the priority groupings and this information as a guide, MPISD prepared an annual list of maintenance projects to be completed. For 1998-99, the district identified each project as either a first or second priority (Exhibit 5-9). The first priority projects have a total estimated cost of $582,000, and the second priority projects have a total estimated cost of $365,200, for a total cost of $947,200.

Exhibit 5-9
MPISD Maintenance Projects
1998-99
Type of Project Location/Description Priority Estimated Cost
Roofing Brice campus 1 $170,000
  Sims cafeteria/speech 1 $10,000
  Sims classrooms 1 $170,000
  Corprew (building C) 1 $20,000
  Corprew (gym) 1 $26,000
  Corprew (equipment room) 1 $3,000
  Wallace (big gym) 1 $62,000
  High school walkways 2 $65,000
  Sims walkways 2 $9,500
  Fowler walkways 2 $30,000
  Corprew (east classrooms) 2 $5,000
  Wallace (library) 2 $35,000
  Wallace (east of gym) 2 $45,000
  Subtotal   $650,500
Carpet Wallace (center hall/9 classrooms) 2 $13,000
  Wallace (north wing/8 classrooms) 2 $10,000
  Wallace (offices/nurse's station) 2 $4,500
  Fowler (office/room 7) 2 $1,700
  Brice (office/14 classrooms) 2 $15,000
  Subtotal   $44,200
Air conditioning Fowler cafeteria 1 $10,000
  High school snack bar 1 $5,000
  High school band hall 1 $3,500
  Districtwide - general 1 $8,000
  Brice cafeteria 2 $10,000
  Sims kitchen 2 $2,500
  Auditorium 2 $15,000
  Subtotal   $54,000
Plumbing Sprinkler system (athletic fields) 2 $30,000
  Elementary (hot water for bathrooms) 2 $8,000
  Restroom renovations 2 $2,000
  Subtotal   $40,000
Painting Fowler exterior/interior 1 $3,000
  Central Services Support Building 1 $1,500
  Wallace exterior 1 $1,500
  Subtotal   $6,000
Miscellaneous Replacing ceiling tile 1 $3,500
  Locks for high school lockers 1 $11,000
  Portable building renovations 1 $5,000
  Fire marshal compliance plan 1 $69,000
  Marquee sign for high school 2 $12,000
  Storage buildings (3) 2 $12,000
  Public address system at Wallace 2 $20,000
  Replace restroom partitions at Wallace 2 $17,000
  Renovate transportation office 2 $1,000
  Additional parking at the high school 2 $2,000
Subtotal     $152,500
Total Priority 1 1 $582,000
Total Priority 2 2 $365,200
Grand Total     $947,200
Source: MPISD deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations.

In the fall of 1998, MPISD developed a plan for renovating its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems at a cost of $304,400 over the next two years (Exhibit 5-10).

Exhibit 5-10
MPISD Plan for HVAC Renovations
Year Location Estimated Cost
1999-2000 Brice Elementary School $30,600
  Sims Elementary School $38,340
  Fowler Elementary School $36,200
  Corprew Intermediate School $19,700
  Mt. Pleasant High School $47,860
  Career and Technology Building $42,300
  Subtotal $215,000
2000-2001 Brice Elementary School $9,200
  Sims Elementary School $3,175
  Fowler Elementary School $2,675
  Wallace Middle School $1,050
  Mt. Pleasant High School $70,000
  Career and Technology Building $3,300
  Subtotal $89,400
  Total $304,400
Source: MPISD deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations.

COMMENDATION

MPISD has conducted a needs assessment, prioritized construction projects, and identified estimated costs for each project.

FINDING

While MPISD has identified facilities improvement needs and estimated costs each year, it has not developed a facilities master plan for future construction and renovation needs that looks out over a longer period of time. Although the district has responded to critical needs, such as roof replacements, some needs, such as repair of the transportation facility, are not included in any of plans. Several board members indicated that facilities needs were often presented on a "crisis basis," which leaves little room to explore alternatives.

A school district's long-range comprehensive master plan is a compilation of district policies, information, and statistical data which provides a basis for planning educational facilities to meet the changing needs of a community. The master plan becomes the district's policy statement for the allocation of resources and offers potential alternatives for facilities improvements.

A facilities master plan identifies all major repair and/or renovation needs districtwide in a single document. It considers external factors such as community needs, and internal factors such as financing alternatives. It establishes a priority for each project, establishes a timeframe within which the work will be completed, and estimates the costs of the projects.

Each year, the plan is reviewed and updated to reflect changing priorities and events that have occurred. It is an opportunity to involve the community in the breadth of facilities issues and in determining priorities.

When a master plan is initiated, specific individuals are designated to provide leadership and responsibility for the plan's development and implementation. A facilities committee often directs the planning process, and includes: community leaders, the superintendent, instructional services representatives, business services representatives, principals, teachers, and classified personnel such as maintenance and cafeteria supervisors. The planning committee functions as a management group with individual responsibilities specified. This process ensures that there is a total staff and community involvement in the plan development.

Recommendation 33:

Develop a long-range facilities master plan.

The district should establish a facilities committee to review the most recent facilities needs assessments, work completed since the assessments, and priorities developed by the staff. The committee should have 25-30 members including MPISD administrators, teachers, and maintenance staff and members of the community representing each of the eight schools. The plan should be a formal document taken to the board for review and approval.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1.

The board of trustees establishes a committee and nominates citizens from across the community to participate.

 March 1999
2.

The superintendent selects MPISD staff to serve on the committee.

 March 1999
3.

The deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations serves as support to the committee and schedules the initial meeting.

 March 1999
4.

The committee tours all facilities, prepares a priority list of facilities needs and holds meetings at each school to gather feedback from parents and residents.

 April-June 1999
5.

The committee includes community input in its recommendations and combines the priorities into a recommended master plan.

 July 1999
6.

The deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations provides cost data for each recommended item and recommends a schedule for accomplishing the plan based upon projected financial capabilities of the district.

 July 1999
7.

The superintendent reviews the plan and recommends approval to the board.

 July 1999
8.

The board reviews the plan, makes modifications, approves the overall plan, and directs the deputy superintendent for Administration and Operations to initiate implementation of year-one items.

August 1999

FISCAL IMPACT

The development of the master plan can be accomplished using staff and community members and will not require additional resources.