Board accepts Coleman Junior High building as complete; district reports progress on bond 2023 projects

The Waxahachie ISD Board of Trustees voted 6-0 to accept the Coleman Junior High building project as complete and to authorize release of retainage for the building portion only. The board did not accept the Coleman track and field as complete and withheld action on that portion.

A district presenter told trustees Coleman had two simultaneous projects over the summer—a building expansion and renovation to support a 1,200-student capacity and a later change-order project to add an athletic track and field behind the property. Staff asked the board to accept "the building project only, not the track and field," noting that school occupancy had begun and that final athletic lockers were installed and reviewed.

Miss Kriegel moved to approve the acceptance; Miss Taylor seconded. The motion carried 6-0.

In a separate construction update on the 2023 bond program, staff reported Coleman Junior High and Findlay Junior High are 100% complete and in warranty follow-up. Howard Junior High was reported at 99% complete pending metal panels that arrived in the wrong color; the panels were expected to be installed this week. The district also provided an update on the new Waukesha Creek High School construction: utilities were about 95% complete, steel and masonry were in progress, detention ponds and civil coordination with the city were ongoing, and the project team was preparing for vertical construction. The presenter said the district had a live site camera and periodic drone footage available on the bond 2023 construction progress webpage.

Staff indicated the Coleman track and field remained outstanding because of third-party scheduling and testing (a referenced 16-business-day waiting period for line testing), and that the district expects pole removal and subsequent asphalt and athletic surfacing to follow once lines are cleared. No vote was taken on the track and field at the time of the meeting.