Perryton ISD trustees review phase 2–3 bond project plans, focus on high school athletics and performing arts

PERRYTON — Perryton ISD trustees spent the bulk of a meeting reviewing and refining plans for phase 2 and phase 3 of the district's bond projects, with extensive discussion about high school renovations, athletics space and performing-arts additions.

Board members and district staff walked through conceptual layouts for the high school's classroom and office remodel, science-lab additions, a redesigned front entrance adjacent to the auditorium and expanded concession and restroom space to serve events in the gym and auditorium. Trustees also discussed phase 3 work for a neighborhood elementary (referred to in the meeting as Bridal/Bright Elementary), which would include office reconfiguration, a new courtyard entrance and new restrooms contiguous with the cafeteria.

Officials said the high school plan calls for converting existing portable and poorly laid-out spaces into special-education classrooms and a new physics lab; expanding teacher workroom and nurse facilities in the current main entrance footprint; and moving the main entrance near the auditorium foyer to provide a safer, more consolidated entry for public events.

Much of the trustees' discussion focused on athletics in the existing Ranger Gym and adjacent spaces. Staff presented multiple options for reconfiguring locker rooms and coaches' offices so that basketball, volleyball and off-season teams would have dedicated or auxiliary locker-room space rather than the current model of repeatedly shifting teams and equipment between rooms during seasons. Possible changes described included: - Moving the girls' locker room to the gym's lower level by repurposing the bottom of the current weight room; - Creating a small, dedicated mat/cheer practice room on the second level with coach office(s) adjacent to it; - Adding or reconfiguring coaches' offices with windows into the gym so coaches can monitor activity; - Splitting existing large rooms to create additional storage, laundry and dedicated uniform storage tied to the athletics footprint; and - Preserving a training room inside the Ranger Gym while adding a second, smaller weight room for short workouts without sending teams to the field-house weight room.

Staff flagged several structural and code issues trustees asked to investigate before decisions: floor load capacity for an upstairs mat room (the second level is currently plywood and would need reinforcement for dynamic loads), egress and the number of required exits, and plumbing relocation for new or moved locker-room showers. Trustees also discussed whether to consolidate weight-room equipment, relocate some existing equipment to the junior high to balance demand, and how tournament or competition use would be staged once a new external field-house weight room opens.

Performing-arts space was another recurring theme. Plans presented would enlarge and refit the band and choir footprints, add ensemble and storage rooms, and build a modest theater-arts classroom with a stage area and prop/costume storage. Band hall sizing was described to accommodate about 100 people on raised tiers similar to the junior high model.

Board members and staff agreed the phase 3 planning will require additional, targeted workshops with the district's engineer/architect to refine circulation, sightlines, storage and access for visiting teams and officials. The board's architect/engineer Steve Butler (named during the meeting) and district staff recommended one or two multi-hour design sessions to draw and adjust plans in real time with coaches, activities staff and building users present.

Trustees did not take final votes on bond design items during the meeting. Instead they authorized staff to continue refining the designs, gather firm pricing and address structural concerns flagged in discussion so a formal decision can return to the board at a later date.

The district noted several implementation constraints trustees must factor into final designs: parts of the scope rely on bond proceeds, some work will depend on future bids and pricing, and upgrades to address load-bearing or plumbing changes could add cost. Staff said they will return with updated drawings, load calculations for proposed second-level uses, door and egress layouts, and revised storage plans for tables, chairs and trophy displays.

Trustees and staff scheduled immediate follow-up working sessions with the architect and athletic staff to move concept drawings toward construction-ready documents and pricing.