Laredo ISD committee flags restroom expansion at Farias Elementary amid growing special‑education demand
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Summary
Staff presented possible restroom additions and modest staff restroom options at Farias Elementary after campus leaders reported heavy use in special‑education units; trustees asked for a districtwide assessment and a capital‑projects prioritization plan before committing funds.
Laredo ISD staff told the business and support services committee on Oct. 9 that Farias Elementary may need an additional accessible restroom and potentially more staff restrooms to serve a growing special‑education program.
Mister Velasquez presented campus plans and diagrams showing an existing shared restroom near the self‑contained special‑education classrooms and a green‑shaded area identified for possible expansion. He said campus leaders reported about 50 students in the special‑education program and forecast further enrollment increases.
Velasquez described a proposed work scope that could add a restroom with a shower and changing table and noted three potential connection points for water and sewer; he said the board packet contained budget‑estimate figures based on comparable projects but that no formal bids had been solicited.
Trustees expressed concern about both the adequacy of facilities and broader district capacity. One trustee said he visited the campus and called for student needs to take priority over staff convenience. Another asked whether the district had performed a restroom assessment across all campuses; staff said most campuses had adequate restrooms but that this was the primary special‑education concern raised in recent submissions.
A trustee cautioned against immediately allocating capital dollars without exploring whether special‑education units and FTE assignments could be rebalanced across underused campuses; staff and trustees agreed a deeper assessment was needed. One trustee referenced a figure of about $310,000 in discussion about potential costs, which staff said was an estimate and not a formal bid.
Several trustees asked staff to form a task force including operations staff to perform a districtwide facilities assessment and return with prioritization and cost information. Trustees also discussed bringing capital improvement proposals to a committee next month to consider funding from position‑savings or other budget sources.
No formal vote or contract was approved in committee; staff were directed to develop a prioritization plan and to bring project proposals and a capital‑improvement agenda item to a future meeting.