Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Facilities topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Arlington ISD breaks ground on new support center for transportation, health and security
Summary
Arlington ISD held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new support center that will consolidate transportation, security, health services and technology support functions, funded in part by the district's 2019 bond package and designed by Corgan with RJ Miller Construction as contractor.
Arlington ISD on Oct. 26 held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new support center that will house the district's transportation, security, health services and technology support teams.
Superintendent Dr. Smith said the project "is a community project," and thanked the school board, former superintendent Marcelo Cabassos and the community for backing the work. "We employ over 8,000 employees in the school district, and it takes everyone to contribute to the student experiences that we want to see in Arlington ISD," Dr. Smith said.
The new facility sits east of the district's food nutrition services center. At the site, contractors have begun drilling auger-cast piles to support the foundation; officials said that within months steel framing, or "red iron," should begin to rise. Beverly Foranoff, associate principal at architecture firm Corgan, said her team worked with Arlington ISD to "understand each department's unique needs and to create spaces that truly support their work." She thanked the district's construction and facilities staff — Kelly Horn, Mike Parkos and Blanca Hernandez — and named RJ Miller Construction as the building contractor.
District speakers described how the center will add to existing facilities rather than replace them. Officials said the original service center, first built in the early 1950s and moved to its current location in 1983, will remain and be used primarily as the bus garage. The new building will include a training center, restrooms and a command center that can serve as a secondary command center for the district's technology team.
A board member who spoke at the ceremony noted the long history of the site and the surrounding neighborhood, saying the YMCA and the nearby fields have been part of the community for decades and that the district's 2019 bond made the project possible.
Speakers gave two different employment figures while describing the district's scale: Dr. Smith said the district employs "over 8,000" staff, while another speaker said the district serves "53,000 kids" and employs "8,500 employees." The ceremony did not provide a formal, single employment figure beyond those statements.
Organizers invited board members and the superintendent to participate in a ceremonial groundbreaking after the remarks. No formal board action or vote occurred at the event; the gathering was a ceremonial milestone for a project already in design and early construction.
