Tyler

By MEGAN MIDDLETON
Staff Writer

Tyler ISD trustees will meet tonight for their regular board meeting and consider approval of the use of emergency funds to fix “hazardous” drainage situations at the varsity fields at John Tyler and Robert E. Lee high schools.

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. in the Dr. Jack L. Davidson Conference Center at the Jim Plyler Instructional Complex, 807 W. Glenwood. Executive session takes place at 6 p.m.

The work to the fields began earlier this month. The district closed the fields to conduct maintenance, which includes the installation of a new drainage system and reinstallation of Bermuda turf.

Tim Loper, director of facilities at TISD, has said that over the years the drains on the fields have become inadequate and have raised safety concerns because of their locations on the fields, which are used for multiple purposes, including football and soccer.

Since a soccer field is wider than a football field, the drains were outside the sidelines for football — but inside the sidelines for soccer.

“The main thing is it’s just hazardous,” Loper has said. “We were having to cover the drains up when they played soccer to keep anybody from stepping in them. It really wasn’t conducive for football either.

“To correct the problem, we are relocating the drains, installing more drains and a French drain to get the water off the field, and moving them out towards the tracks to get a legal width soccer field on both fields also. That way we can serve everybody.”

The board will consider approving more than $111,000 for the repairs.

TISD Superintendent Dr. Randy Reid has said the district used money it had earmarked for other projects that were not as time sensitive to go ahead and get started on the maintenance work to the fields so it could be done in time for football season. The approval Tuesday will be so the district can replace those funds with money from unrestricted funds in the budget.

Trustees will also consider approving a bid to remodel the Student Services Building at the Plyler Instructional Complex to make room for three new offices.

The new offices will accommodate a new records management officer, the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) coordinator and allow for one extra office for future use, according to district agenda information.

The administration is recommending the board approve a contract with Garrett and Associates for $33,650, plus more than $8,000 in miscellaneous fees. Funding for the remodel would come from undesignated funds.

Trustees will also hear an update on the “Portrait of a Graduate” training process that began a little more than a year ago.

The training is a requirement of John Tyler’s Texas High School Redesign and Restructuring Grant. The school was eligible for the grant because in the past it was rated by the state as “academically unacceptable” as a result of its completion rate in certain groups of students.

The grant allows the school to provide additional staff development and training for teachers and administrators, and time to learn about best practices.

Also Tuesday, the board will consider approval of: