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EMS ISD construction update: Wayside progress, Eagle Mountain HS curtain wall defect, Saginaw High phased additions
Summary
District staff reported progress on Wayside Middle and other projects, disclosed a curtain-wall specification issue at Eagle Mountain High that requires structural reinforcement, and outlined multi‑phase Saginaw High School additions with debate about schedule compression and procurement approach.
District construction staff updated the board on May 19 about active capital projects, noting steady progress at Wayside Middle School, a structural-specification shortfall at Eagle Mountain High School’s field-house curtain wall, and a multi‑year phased plan for Saginaw High School that the board discussed compressing to limit escalation risk.
Clete Welch, who presented the monthly construction update, reviewed aerial photos and progress at Wayside and said ironwork and ductwork are advancing in academic wings and the cafeteria. He said concrete decking and above‑ceiling work are nearing completion in parts of the building.
At Eagle Mountain High School, Welch said a structural-engineering review found a curtain-wall area where the project specifications were not followed, creating greater deflection than designed and leaving out reinforcement steel.
“ The structural engineer… found the specifications that were put into that project were not met. So there’s more deflection. So they left off some reinforcements,” Welch said, adding the glass installation is present but additional reinforcement will be required and staff are working on options.
Board members pressed for timing and expressed concern about summer programming, but Welch said a timeline for repairs is not final; staff expect design and repair work to be completed over the summer where possible.
Infrastructure news: Welch and board members reported that Fort Worth and TxDOT coordination allowed access for a 54‑inch water main, which will improve utility capacity for future development and help staging for several campus projects.
Saginaw High School additions and renovations: district project lead Laura (presenting planning and phasing) outlined a two‑package, multi‑phase capital project planned from 2026 through 2028. Key elements include a new field house south of the existing field house, a new indoor practice facility occupying the existing field-house footprint once the new field house is occupied, relocation/addition of the agricultural science shop to the main building, scenery shop expansions, stadium and press-box upgrades, LED lighting and circulation improvements, chiller replacements and utility reroutes. Two alternates under consideration are an upgraded auditorium AV/rigging package and a sunshade at the tennis courts.
The phasing plan stages utility reroutes and transformer setting first because the new field house footprint overlaps existing utilities; demolition of the old field house would occur after the new field house opens so disruption is minimized.
Board members asked whether the district could compress the schedule or change procurement to reduce escalation risk from tariffs and supply-chain volatility. Lauren said the current plan uses a CSP (competitive sealed proposals) procurement with sequential packages; she said switching to a construction-manager-at-risk/manager‑at‑risk model with concurrent packages could shorten the timetable but would require analysis of cost and permitting impacts.
“ If we want to explore different options of having concurrent work to compress that schedule, we can do that,” she said.
Ending: staff will return with contractor selection for the next phase of middle‑school work and will present an evaluation of procurement options and schedule/compression tradeoffs before issuing major solicitations.
