HCISD reports progress on school-safety and HVAC projects; aquatic center bid gets no offers

At a Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District Facilities and Safety Committee meeting, facilities staff gave progress updates on school‑safety and maintenance projects and described procurement problems that have left the district without bidders for the Aquatic Center HVAC/dehumidification work.

District facilities presenter Mr. Tapia said the school‑safety grant installation of emergency responder communications — known as a bi‑directional amplifier (BDA) system — has been completed at a majority of campuses. "We have the emergency responders communication enhancement system or the BDA system," he said, noting that 12 campuses have finished installation and passed frequency testing and that four large campuses, including both high schools, still require wiring and follow‑up testing.

The committee heard status reports on multiple TRE and maintenance tax note projects. Work on chiller‑line replacement at the district annex was mostly complete and in final punch‑list stages, Mr. Tapia said. Locker‑unit installations for gym areas are operational and nearing completion after electrical and control work; Long Elementary's full‑school LED conversion is roughly 85 percent complete, with classrooms finished and hallway work scheduled for a school break to avoid class disruption.

Lamar Elementary's front vestibule and entry redesign is about 75–80 percent through the design review phase. Facilities staff said they expect to solicit bids and aim to request an award at the December board meeting; the committee was told a bid timeline update would be provided at the November meeting.

The Aquatic Center project has run into procurement problems. Mr. Tapia told trustees that two bid openings produced no bidders; a second advertised opening again returned zero takers. The district has scheduled another bid opening for October 30 and hopes to present an award recommendation at the November board meeting. He explained the likely reasons: the work requires specialized pool dehumidification and HVAC equipment and certified technicians who are scarce in the Rio Grande Valley, and stringent service timelines in the specifications — including a 48‑hour response requirement — may have discouraged general contractors and their specialty subcontractors.

Facilities staff described options under consideration: rebidding with targeted invitations to vendors listed on BuyBoard, pursuing single‑source or cooperative purchasing where lawful, or engaging a large general contractor who would manage specialized subcontractors (at higher cost). Mr. Tapia said using BuyBoard vendors could add a 15–25 percent premium to the project, potentially increasing a roughly $2 million budget to about $2.5 million.

Committee members asked about contingency plans if the district cannot complete the work before the start of fall water‑polo season. Staff said the district is exploring alternatives such as using neighboring pools if necessary, but emphasized that long lead times for specialized equipment could mean months of outage if repairs are delayed.

No formal actions or votes were taken during the committee’s facilities update; staff said they will return with updated bid information and a recommended path forward at upcoming meetings.