WISD trustees workshop options to repurpose Coleman Building, weigh licensing, costs and possible sale

WAXAHACHIE — WAXAHACHIE ISD administration presented trustees with a range of options for the future use of the Evelyn Coleman Building, a roughly 303,000-square-foot campus that the district opened as a high school in 1970 and now houses programs including the discipline alternative education program (DAEP), the TLI program and several centralized services.

In a workshop presentation, Mr. Collin, a district staff member, told trustees the district is considering consolidating administrative functions at Coleman, relocating pre‑K or the Little Chiefs Academy (the district childcare program), expanding special education and technology spaces there, or the outright sale of part of the property and reinvestment of proceeds. “No magic bullet, magic pill on any of this,” Collin said while inviting board feedback.

The district provided specific space and cost figures. District staff said the Coleman complex totals about 303,000 square feet under roof (excluding athletic fields and courts). The administration footprint considered for consolidation is roughly 16,500 square feet of office space (13,400 square feet in the main building and two portables of about 1,500 square feet each). Staff estimated roughly 34,500 square feet of additional office/coded space across TLI and special education. Bond funds labeled for Coleman total about $6 million, the presentation said.

Why it matters: Coleman is a large district asset that could relieve overcrowding in other campuses or raise capital if sold. Trustees pressed staff about licensing, equity of access for students, demolition and renovation costs and operational impacts.

Key proposals and constraints

- Move pre‑K into the northern A/B hallways at Coleman and put consolidated administration in the southern segment. Pre‑K currently occupies 18 classrooms at Turner; Coleman A/B halls have about 24 classrooms. Staff noted that moving pre‑K would require TDLR (Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation) to expand the campus license before the program could operate there.

- Relocate Little Chiefs Academy to Coleman. Little Chiefs has licensed seating for roughly 85 children and a waiting list the presenter said exceeds 100. Staff said moving Little Chiefs would also require license expansion, playground construction and kitchen facilities; the playground cost was estimated at about $200,000. Some board members and staff said Little Chiefs expansion could serve both staff incentives and childcare needs for students who are parents.

- Consolidate administration and selected centralized teams (PEIMS, registration, portions of special education and technology) at Coleman to create a single campus for district operations, alleviating use of portable buildings that now serve as first impressions for families registering students.

- Sell a portion of the Coleman property (about 20 acres as outlined in district maps) as raw land. A realtor-provided estimate put the raw‑land value near $9.5 million; staff said site demolition of existing structures could cost $1.75–$2.0 million. Construction estimates cited an approximate $475–$500 per square foot figure drawn from a recent comparable in Prosper ISD, which staff used to illustrate that selling Coleman and replacing administrative space could leave the district “upside down” by roughly $2.5 million for a 20,000-square-foot new build after demolition costs.

Licensing, timing and facility condition

Staff emphasized that either moving pre‑K or Little Chiefs would not be immediate. Each relocation requires TDLR clearance and physical upgrades to meet childcare licensing (playgrounds, segregated entrances and badge control, food service/kitchen). Collin noted playground and fencing designs that would use a currently fenced cafeteria area and link to existing gym access, but added that the license-expansion timeline is uncertain.

Trustees questioned the current physical condition of Coleman. Collin acknowledged the building has long‑standing issues but said some problems are mitigated when a facility is used for administrative rather than instructional purposes. He told trustees that certain items—roofs, HVAC and fire alarm upgrades—have been addressed previously and that the district would accept some shortcomings “as is” if administration moved there, relying on phased repairs rather than a major renovation bond.

Costs and bond money

Staff flagged bond Proposition C money available for Coleman renovations and said they would be reluctant to use those funds on administrative finishes after promising voters a set of renovation priorities. A rough estimate of site demolition ($1.75–$2 million) plus new construction costs drove the presenter’s argument that a straight sale does not obviously produce capital to replace square footage the district would lose.

Board reaction and next steps

Trustees asked for more precise cost estimates, architect drawings and state‑licensing input before any final direction. One trustee asked staff to obtain a “true number” for renovation versus new construction; Collin said additional detailed work with an architect and childcare licensing officials was required and that he did not yet have a timeline. The district also said it would continue to scout off‑campus office space as an alternative to renovating Coleman or building new administrative space.

The board did not take any formal action during the workshop; Collin and other staff were asked to develop more precise cost estimates, involve architects and childcare licensing officials (TDLR) and return with refined options.

Ending: Trustees characterized the discussion as an early-stage planning workshop. Staff said they would follow up with licensing conversations, architect cost estimates and a clearer schedule before bringing a recommendation to the board.