WAXAHACHIE ISD updates bond-construction schedule; Waukesha Creek site work continuing amid rock and weather challenges

Waxahachie ISD staff updated trustees on construction work funded by the 2023 bond and related Proposition C projects, reporting multiple projects nearing completion and ongoing site challenges at the new Waukesha Creek High School campus.

Construction manager David Mott (presentation) told the board that Jimmy Ray Elementary and Wama STEAM Elementary are finished and that Hancock building exterior and interior punch list items should be completed by the end of the month. Findlay and Howard junior-high renovations were described as on track to be completed over the summer. Staff said they expect furniture and final fit-out at Waukesha Creek to happen in the summer of 2027 as the district prepares the campus to open.

Site conditions and schedule Mott said the Waukesha Creek site has required substantial excavation through "white rock" and that heavy equipment and staged trenching are being used to break and remove hard subsurface material. Plumbers and utility contractors are working on precut trenches and backfilling to allow follow-on crews to work more efficiently; Mott said recent permit comments from the city were largely editorial rather than substantive and are not expected to hold the project.

Capital and Prop C notes - Prop A: staff told trustees Prop A projects remain on or under budget. - Prop C: some savings from projects have been reallocated to other long-term building improvements, including replacement of geothermal systems at certain campuses. The district said it expects to remove geothermal across remaining campuses by the 2026 school year and to install chiller towers on the first building to be converted.

Other work and schedule items - Track and field work behind Hancock is scheduled for summer 2025. - Findlay and Howard junior-high interiors and additions should be complete this summer; Hancock final cleaning and punch list follow in early summer. - Waukesha Creek: staff reported the site pad and athletic wing remain among the larger elements still to be completed; contractors are staging trailers, safety meeting trailers and parent-drop-off preparations as work progresses.

Budget and procurement When trustees asked about budget status, staff said Prop A projects are on or under budget and that Prop C projects have enough savings to permit prioritizing additional infrastructure investments this summer. The construction manager said a major contractor will have approximately 125 workers on-site across seven campuses during a busy summer schedule.

Ending District staff concluded that the construction program is advancing and that officials will continue to brief the board monthly and through the bond oversight committee. Trustees asked for continued updates on schedules and budget lines as work proceeds.