Board approves demolition of San Jacinto and Austin buildings and leases San Jacinto to Council of Governments for Head Start

San Angelo ISD trustees on Aug. 4 approved bids to demolish Building A at Austin Elementary and Building A at San Jacinto, and approved a lease agreement with the Council of Governments (COG) to operate a Head Start program at the San Jacinto campus. Administration said structural damage and long‑standing facility issues left the two buildings unusable; bids recommended Rees Albert Trucking for demolition and Building Abatement Demolition Company Inc. for asbestos abatement, with a total authorization of $453,800 including a $60,000 contingency. Staff said earlier inspections revealed a compromised load‑bearing wall at San Jacinto and that the buildings had become safety and nuisance risks when left idle. Several public commenters raised health and safety concerns, including dust and lead paint exposure, a nearby Superfund site, flood recovery impacts and the proximity of kindergarten classrooms. Trustees and staff discussed scheduling options to minimize risk and said contractors could plan after‑hours or weekend work and that district staff would coordinate notifications to nearby neighbors and Head Start families. Administration said Head Start students would begin at the site in mid‑August and that communications would follow final scheduling and board approval. Separately, the board approved a lease with the Council of Governments for Head Start operations at San Jacinto and maintained the Day Early Childhood Center lease at Rio Vista; the district will be responsible for facility utilities and maintenance while Head Start will provide program staffing and content insurance. The district said the partnership allows the program to claim average daily attendance (ADA) for enrolled four‑year‑olds and helps the district fill early childhood capacity while Head Start covers instructional staff costs.