Manor ISD officials outline uses for remaining 2019 bond funds, prioritize safety and deferred maintenance

Manor Independent School District officials reported on Feb. 3 that they are near the end of work funded by the district's 2019 bond and recommended using leftover bond proceeds and interest to address safety, deferred maintenance and capacity priorities.

Chief Operations Officer Joe Mendez told the board the 2019 bond authorization totaled about $280 million and that the district has about $2.8 million remaining in contingency from the bond and roughly $3.8 million remaining from interest earned, for a projected combined available balance of about $6.6 million.

Mendez presented a priority list of potential uses, saying the items were a staff's'rough order and that trustees would set final priorities before staff begins contracting. He said proposed items include enhanced safety and perimeter fencing at Manor Senior High School and Manor Early College, additional parking and bus staging at the transportation center, polished concrete floors at select secondary campuses to reduce custodial time, roofing work at Blake Manor Elementary School, HVAC and piping upgrades at older campuses, movable portables for New Tech High School, a robotics lab upgrade at New Tech, and repairs to track-and-field surfaces, among other items.

The presentation included a $1.5 million line for network and infrastructure to support an upgraded district dispatch center. David Gonzales, the district's director of technology, told trustees that much of that budget would fund network security and firewall equipment required for dispatch and that the district is already planning to provide dispatch services to other nearby districts on a cost-recovery basis.

Mendez said the district has purchased buses during prior bond cycles and plans additional bus replacements; he estimated $300,000 would buy roughly two or three buses at current prices, and noted recent increases in per-unit cost. He also said the district has evaluated electric buses and that the transportation center was built with conduit to allow future electrification if the technology and funding make sense.

Trustees and staff repeatedly emphasized that tonight's presentation was informational: contracts and formal spending would return to the board for approval. Trustee Stephanie Rodriguez Barnett asked for clarification about which maintenance items would use bond money versus operating or warranty funds; Mendez said some repairs are maintenance while others would be funded with bond interest or contingency.

Board members asked staff to prioritize items addressing student safety and instructional continuity. Trustee Barbara (last name not specified in the transcript) urged that repairs that directly affect students' ability to attend school, such as leaks at Blake Manor Elementary, be prioritized. Mendez said the contingency and interest funds will be used only after trustees confirm a priority list and after required procurement and contract approvals.

On procedure, the board discussed the process for bringing prospective projects back for formal validation and cautioned that bond funds cannot be spent without board authorization. Mendez said some projects remain encumbered and that contingency balances could grow as open projects are closed out.

The board did not take a formal vote on the list tonight. Trustees asked staff to prepare a revised prioritized list, cost estimates and contract packages for future board consideration and public review.