District reports stadium turf, track and scoreboard replacements plus auditorium renovations

Business services staff told the Harris County Board of Education on July 1 that several facilities projects are underway and scheduled for completion before the start of school.

Mr. Fisher reported the stadium received new artificial turf after the district determined the 12‑year-old surface would not meet required safety tests; the turf walk-through and sign‑off occurred in late June. Track work is staged to begin immediately and is expected to take about three weeks. Contractors also trenched and ran power and fiber for a new scoreboard; Fisher said crews will disassemble the existing unit and install the replacement beginning July 7 and expect the new scoreboard to be operational about a week after installation.

Fisher explained why the district kept artificial turf rather than converting to grass, noting the site would require extensive drainage, substrate and irrigation work to support grass and that conversion would not necessarily be cheaper when installation and ongoing maintenance are included.

In the auditorium, crews removed old seating, completed concrete work and are installing new chairs and carpeting; Fisher expected that work to be finished in the coming week with minor touch‑ups thereafter. Painting projects at other schools are in progress, and erosion repair near the tennis courts is nearly complete. Mulberry Creek’s gym floor will be replaced during the week of July 14 and is scheduled to be ready before the first day of school.

Board members asked schedule and cost questions; staff provided timeline estimates but did not provide final budget totals during the update.