District operations update: Wayside campus making vertical progress; Saginaw High renovation funding under review

Operations director Clete Welch updated the Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD Board of Trustees on Jan. 21 about progress and delays at multiple construction sites, with the most detailed briefing focused on the district’s Wayside campus project.

Welch said weather has created repeated delays in concrete and masonry work and that crews are adjusting sequencing to keep trades moving; he reported that steel for roughly 40% of the building arrived the first week of January and that crews have started installing components around the storm shelter. He noted that major slabs and underground utilities at the academic buildings are complete and that geothermal well trenches were opened for inspection and then covered. Welch said the detention pond and a new masonry perimeter fence are expected to improve long-standing neighborhood drainage problems.

Trustees pressed for more detail on other projects. On Saginaw High School renovations — including locker rooms, weight room and potential field-house work — board members and staff discussed available funding. Trustee Tim Daughtry asked whether leftover bond contingency from the district’s 2017 bond program could be applied to the Saginaw project; finance staff said the district currently had roughly $17 million identified from earlier bond balances and that additional interest revenue identified after closeout of fiscal 2023–24 could add to that total, but some of that interest may be subject to arbitrage repayment to the federal government.

Rob, a district finance staff member, said staff expect to reconcile project closeouts and arbitrage potential in about a month and will report back with clearer figures. Board members and staff emphasized that the available funding will inform the scope for the schematic design work led by the district’s design team, including whether a new two‑story addition built in front of the existing building or a phased renovation of the existing structure would be feasible.

Why it matters: The Wayside build includes student-serving spaces and a storm shelter; delays affect opening milestones and community disruption. The Saginaw High School discussion addresses how the district balances renovation vs. new construction within bond and interest revenue constraints and how that choice would affect timelines, construction phasing and student displacement.

What trustees heard and asked: Trustees raised neighbor complaints (few reported), drainage improvements, the number and placement of geothermal wells, and timeline questions. Welch said a green‑field two‑story build out front could take about 14 months, and a combined new-build-plus-renovation scenario could add roughly another 12 months because of phasing, staging and student accommodations.

Next steps: Staff will return within about a month with more detailed funding clarifications and arbitrage analysis so the board can set final design scope and phasing for Saginaw High School renovation work.