Taylor ISD bond projects progressing on schedule, district urges tighter site security

Taylor ISD staff told the board of trustees on Monday that construction tied to the district’s bond program is progressing with major milestones met and most projects running ahead of contract dates, but trustees asked that contractors redouble site security and check‑in procedures.

In a presentation to the board, a staff member summarized the program-wide status and said the district is “about 52% complete with construction” for phase 2 and “approximately 64%” for phase 3 based on contractor schedules, and that work is proceeding “within the budget that was approved by the voters.” The presenter said the district has expended roughly $26,300,000 and currently has $68,900,000 committed across the program.

Those figures were tied to campus-level updates: Taylor High School has its structure topped out and passed a Williamson County Health Department reinspection for a new culinary arts space; Main Street Elementary is doing earthwork for a new bus loop and wrapping waterproofing; and T. H. Johnson’s interior core work is scheduled for mid‑October even though some exterior canopy work will follow later to avoid disrupting the school calendar.

“Plan is to get students in there to start teaching classes immediately,” the staff member said about the culinary space at Taylor High School.

Trustees heard additional detail about other campuses. The presenter said Pausman’s HVAC replacements were largely finished and that maintenance projects will add windows and upgrade exterior wall assemblies at some sites. The presenter cautioned that a few items — bathroom partitions and some maintenance trades — have been delayed by delivery or discovery of changed existing conditions but are scheduled to be completed in the coming weeks.

During questions, Trustee Ruben emphasized safety and asked district staff to “let the crews know that security is important” and to require proper check‑in and badges for contractors entering campuses. The staff member responded that the district had “asked them to redouble their efforts.”

The presentation included schedule caveats: the slide deck used contractor schedules rather than contract completion dates, and the presenter noted that several exterior items would extend beyond interior completion dates because work must be coordinated with the school calendar (for example, using long weekends or holiday breaks for canopy foundations).

The board did not take any formal action on the bond program at the meeting. Staff said invoices for August had not yet been posted to the summary totals shown to trustees and that some uncommitted budget lines remain for land purchase, solar allocation, and design work for a new elementary school.

District staff said they are not projecting overruns or savings at this time and that site‑specific completion percentages range from under 5% at legacy projects to roughly 41% at Taylor High School based on expenditures and commitments.

Trustees asked for continued monthly updates and confirmation that contractors follow campus security protocols before crews enter occupied buildings.

The board’s next regular meeting was included on the board calendar during the session.