College Station ISD declares emergency at Pebble Creek Elementary, authorizes superintendent to approve repairs; board ratifies emergency contracts

The College Station Independent School District Board of Trustees on Dec. 17 declared Pebble Creek Elementary an emergency under Texas Education Code and granted the superintendent authority to make budgeted purchases necessary to repair the campus and continue operations during the emergency.

The declaration cited Texas Education Code sections 44.031(h) and 44.0312(c). Board members then ratified emergency purchases tied to the rupture of a fire-suppression line at the school: a contract with Summit Fire Security LLC for $89,776 (with superintendent authorization for up to $5,000 in change orders, bringing that contract ceiling to $94,776) and emergency restoration work with Cotton Restoration not to exceed $250,000 for initial cleanup (separate rebuild costs will be presented later). All motions passed unanimously, 6-0.

Why it matters: Board members said the emergency declaration allowed the district to act quickly to secure and clean the campus so students could return safely rather than wait for the normal competitive purchasing timeline. Heather Wilson, the district finance lead who presented the items, told trustees that the vendors used that night were approved contractors and that purchases complied with emergency purchasing provisions in board policy CH(local) and the cited state code.

What the board approved and how they decided: The board approved a written resolution delegating authority to Superintendent Dr. John Harkrider (or a designee) to make budgeted emergency purchases necessary to continue operations "during the duration of the emergency." Trustee Simmons moved the resolution; Trustee Iggy seconded. After the board adopted the resolution 6-0, trustees considered and ratified the Summit Fire Security LLC purchase (motion by Trustee McAdams; second by Trustee Binney) and the Cotton Restoration ratification (motion by Trustee McAdams; second by Trustee Ege). Wilson told the board the district expects insurance coverage for most repairs, subject to the district deductible.

What officials said: Wilson summarized the procedural basis for the purchases and noted that both Summit Fire Security LLC and Cotton Restoration are established vendors used by the district. "In order to get the building up and running, we acted very quickly and the Texas education code allows us to do that," Wilson said. She added that the resolution is temporary: the delegation would remain only for the emergency period and the board will be updated and asked to ratify expenditures made under it.

Next steps and financial implications: Wilson said the full repair and rebuild costs are not yet known; the initial restoration and suppression-repair expenses brought to the board total $344,776 (Summit plus Cotton initial restoration), with additional rebuild and restoration costs to be presented in January. She also said the district expects most recoverable costs to be paid by insurance, less the district deductible.

Votes at a glance - Resolution declaring Pebble Creek Elementary an emergency and delegating superintendent authority: Motion passed 6-0 (moved by Trustee Simmons; second by Trustee Iggy). - Ratification of emergency purchase to Summit Fire Security LLC: $89,776, with superintendent authority for up to $5,000 in change orders (total not to exceed $94,776). Motion passed 6-0 (moved by Trustee McAdams; second by Trustee Binney). - Ratification of emergency purchase to Cotton Restoration: amount not to exceed $250,000 (initial restoration; rebuild costs excluded). Motion passed 6-0 (moved by Trustee McAdams; second by Trustee Ege).

The board asked staff to return with further details and any insurance recoveries as the work progresses.