Gatesville ISD considers $26 million bond focused on junior high auditorium renovation and new field house

Gatesville ISD trustees heard detailed presentations and community input on a proposed bond package centered on a full renovation of Geiskell Junior High Schoolauditorium and a new field house, part of a $26 million package the district is considering for voters.

Board members and staff said the junior high auditorium is used daily for assemblies, rehearsals and interventions and that its condition raises safety and usability concerns. Mike Boyle, lead architect from Huckabee, told the board that options range from an "in-between" solution suitable for small performances to a more extensive upgrade that would approach high-school–level production amenities.

The proposal matters, trustees said, because students currently cross a busy street between junior high and high school for stage rehearsals and other activities, which staff described as a recurring safety risk. Teachers and staff described broken seats, poor acoustics, splintering stairs and inadequate ADA access that limit daily use and can create hazards.

Board and campus presenters outlined the auditorium's current uses: morning assemblies, choir and band practice, NJHS rehearsals, parent meetings and intervention sessions. Junior high science teacher Bill Bryant said keeping students from crossing the street for rehearsals and events is a primary safety objective. Librarian Candy Garvin and custodian Raymond Ramirez described broken seating and other maintenance problems that affect daily operation.

Architect Boyle said a junior-high-level renovation can address acoustics, basic audio-visual upgrades and seating replacement without attempting to duplicate the high school's larger, state-of-the-art facility. The district's project list has grown in scope during planning; trustees and consultants said remaining under a $26 million threshold is a strategic priority to increase voter support. Under the currently discussed package, the junior high renovation and a field house would be the core elements included.

District staff explained that certain itemsfor example, a press boxmight be deferred to be funded from the district fund balance if needed, and that the field house can be combined with the junior-high project in the bond language rather than listed separately, which aides package strategy. Trustees were told geological work to address erosion at the football stadium and repairs to turf and track are also pressing needs that will compete for resources.

Trustees and the administration described a community engagement plan and timeline to gather public input before any formal bond call. Consultants recommended two standing committees: a design committee to dig into architectural details (scheduled Oct. 29 in the presentation) and a larger community focus group to help prioritize projects and identify potential concerns. The consultants said that board action to call a bond election would follow further design work and public input; the presentation cited February 9 as the last practical date to call a spring election under the timeline the district discussed.

The board did not take a bond-authorizing vote at the meeting. Trustees asked staff and architects to continue developing scope and cost options and to return with more refined pricing and community feedback for later board consideration.