Gatesville ISD board approves $1.65M pre‑design allocation and authorizes contract with Huckabee ahead of May bond

The Gatesville ISD Board of Trustees voted to authorize the district to allocate up to 7.5% of the current $22 million construction estimatea0— about $1,650,000a0— to begin pre‑design work with architect Huckabee and to sign an initial agreement to allow drawings and early procurement planning to proceed before a bond election.

Board members heard from the architect team, introduced earlier in the meeting, about a compressed schedule that would let the district begin schematic and design development while community engagement runs in parallel. The presenter said early design work and hiring a construction manager at risk could reduce escalation and contingency costs and make projects "bid ready" immediately if voters approve the bond.

Leanne, speaking on district finances, told trustees the district has an approximate gray‑area fund balance of $15.8 million, about $12.7 million of which is currently unassigned after required reserves for cash‑on‑hand and earmarked contingencies. She cautioned trustees not to overdraw reserves but confirmed the district had some capacity to fund limited pre‑design services.

Speaker 1 framed the decision as a risk management step: spending a portion of design dollars now would shorten the gap between design and construction and help protect against rising costs for materials and labor. The board was also told that district counsel had reviewed a draft agreement from Huckabee.

A motion to accept the Huckabee proposal and move forward with the recommended pre‑design allocation was made and seconded; trustees approved the motion by voice vote. The motion record in the meeting transcript records a voice approval but does not list an individual roll‑call tally.

What the authorization covers and what it does not: the approval permits early design work and limited funding to hire the architect and begin drawings; it does not bind the district to a final bond amount or to the full construction program. Trustees were told the district will continue community engagement, prioritize projects for the ballot, and return to the board with final scope and ballot language.

Next steps outlined by staff include continuing public engagement, refining the scope to fit a $26 million bond cap (with roughly $22 million of that shown as construction cost in current analyses), and returning to the board with recommended ballot propositions and final contract details.