HEB ISD board approves Trinity GMP, elementary replacement contracts and a suite of facility upgrades

The Hurst‑Euless‑Bedford ISD Board of Trustees on March 25 approved a package of construction contracts and facility upgrades tied to the district’s bond program, including a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the Trinity High School replacement campus and replacement or renovation work at multiple elementary campuses.

Board action came after staff presentations describing schedule pressures, cost drivers and savings across the program. Superintendent Joe Harrington said the Trinity GMP came in higher than initial estimates because the project is complex and is being delivered in multiple phases. Harrington said the district expected some differences across projects and noted that recent elementary estimates have come in under budget.

The board also approved stipulated‑sum agreements for two elementary replacement campuses, Hurst Hills and Midway Park, which staff said will allow the district to contract quickly and return unused contingency or allowance funds to the district rather than hold them in contractor contingency accounts. District staff told trustees the two stipulated‑sum agreements, taken together, produced multimillion‑dollar savings compared with original budgets; staff described those savings as “in the millions” and gave approximate figures during the presentation.

Trustees approved other items needed to ready campuses for the upcoming school year and events: a $1 million allocation from a locally defined capital projects fund to replace aged HVAC units across district properties; upgrades to Pennington Field lighting to LED fixtures with color and effects capability, and replacement of 1,744 reserved stadium seats; replacement or renovation of LD Bell High School’s multipurpose field; repairs and audiovisual upgrades to the Pat May Center training rooms; structured cabling work (RFP 25‑03) to support security cameras and network drops; and the sale of 1615 Pipeline Road in Bedford to a private bidder. Staff said several items were brought in a single reading and through cooperative purchase agreements to meet timelines for the summer and a July 20 drum corps event at Pennington.

Votes at a glance - Agenda 10.05 — Approve the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the Trinity High School replacement campus: approved (motion and second recorded; mover/second not specified in the record). Staff noted the Trinity GMP was higher than originally expected but kept the overall program within the bond package through savings elsewhere. - Agenda 10.06 — Approve GMP for Wilshire Elementary replacement campus: approved. - Agenda 10.07 — Approve stipulated‑sum agreements for Hurst Hills and Midway Park elementary replacement campuses: approved. - Agenda 10.08 — Allocate $1,000,000 from locally defined capital projects fund for HVAC unit replacements: approved. - Agenda 10.09 — Approve Pennington Field lighting upgrades (cooperative purchase) to meet event timeline: approved. - Agenda 10.10 — Approve purchase of Pennington Field reserved seating replacements (1,744 seats): approved. - Agenda 10.11 — Approve upgrades to Pat May Center training rooms D2 and D3 (Samsung direct view LED walls): approved. - Agenda 10.12 — Approve RFP 25‑03 for structured cabling services from Superior Fiber and Data Services LLC: approved. - Agenda 10.13 — Approve sale of 1615 Pipeline Road, Bedford, Texas 76022, to Llama Estate LLC: approved. - Agenda 10.14 — Approve Paragon Sports proposal for LD Bell High School multipurpose field renovation: approved. - Agenda 10.02 & 10.03 — Approve revisions to the 2024–25 and 2025–26 employee calendars: approved. - Agenda 10.04 — Approve update to the 2025–26 staffing table adding two elementary teacher units and one elementary teacher assistant unit: approved.

Why it matters: The approvals move several bond‑funded replacement and construction projects into contract or procurement and allocate local capital to urgent maintenance (HVAC) to avoid disruption ahead of the school year. The Pennington lighting and seating approvals were expedited to meet a summer event schedule.

Details and context: During discussion, district construction staff and architects explained that Trinity’s scope and phased construction schedule added price pressure; elementaries presented more predictable scopes that produced savings versus earlier budgets. Scott Lee of the district’s construction team explained the district chose stipulated‑sum agreements for the first two elementary projects to reduce administrative delay and allow construction to begin promptly while returning contingency savings to the district as they occur. District staff said some savings reported at the March meeting were approximately in the low‑to‑mid millions on individual elementary projects and that those reductions offset higher pricing on Trinity to keep the overall bond program on track.

Trustees and staff also discussed logistics for the HVAC replacement work, including using in‑house crews where feasible and contracting engineering and installation for complex jobs. For Pennington Field, athletic staff described LED fixtures that reduce spill light, offer color effects, and can be installed on existing poles; staff said both lighting and seating upgrades were procured through cooperatives to meet a July event deadline.

What’s next: Contracts and purchase orders will be executed as authorized. Staff said they will return to the board with routine program reporting and that construction updates and schedule milestones will be tracked through the bond program’s reporting process.