Clear Creek ISD approves additional funds and construction contract for Clear Lake High culinary arts renovation

The Clear Creek Independent School District Board of Trustees approved additional capital project funds and a construction contract to complete a culinary arts renovation at Clear Lake High School.

District staff and trustees said the board voted to approve $646,500 in additional capital project funds to finish the culinary arts space at the Learner Support Center at Clear Lake High School. The board then approved construction contract 2025.412 to Generosity Services in the amount of $2,684,500. Both motions passed unanimously.

District staff member Miller summarized the project history and cost adjustments for trustees. Miller said the board had previously approved $2.5 million from capital contingency in November 2024 to complete the new culinary arts space, and that proposals opened in February produced higher-than-expected pricing that prompted a pause and redesign effort. Miller said PBK Architects agreed to donate their fee, and project partners identified roughly $100,000 in equipment that could be covered by Perkins grant funds. After those reductions and design tightening, Miller said the additional funding need was reduced to $646,500 and that the district proposes using Bond 17 savings and interest — not the capital contingency line — to cover the increase.

Miller said much of the original overage related to mechanical, electrical and plumbing work. He described a change to leave certain existing plumbing lines in place but abandon and grout unused pipes while running new lines only where required. He said engineers initially recommended adding rooftop units to balance air for the new lab, but the team revised the design to rely on existing school air systems with a balanced exhaust hood to control fumes, removing the need for the rooftop units and their infrastructure costs.

Trustee Phil thanked PBK Architects for waiving their fee and thanked district staff Alex and JT for additional work on the redesign. Phil also said the renovation would expand access for students on the east side of the district who cannot attend culinary classes at another campus, and he noted that about 60 students had already signed up for the program for next fall.

Mr. Trump moved to approve the superintendent’s recommendation to use $646,500 in additional capital project funds for facility-related work; the board voted in favor. Later the board voted to award construction contract 2025.412 to Generosity Services for $2,684,500; Trustee Yukai moved the motion and it passed unanimously.

Project partners and the district said city permitting remains a step: staff reported they were on “round 2” of comments with the City of Houston and would begin work once the permit is issued.

The board gave staff authority to proceed under the approved funding plan and contract. No amendments, dissents, or roll-call vote counts were recorded in the meeting transcript; the clerk recorded both items as passing unanimously.