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Giddings ISD facilities report warns of rising tech, HVAC and bus replacement costs as district considers bond
Summary
Assistant Superintendent Andy Masek told trustees the district faces growing costs for network switches, cybersecurity and subscriptions, plus major capital needs for turf, HVAC and bus replacements; officials signaled bond planning will factor these needs into upcoming budget discussions.
Giddings — In a detailed facilities report Feb. 19, Assistant Superintendent for Facilities Andy Masek told the Giddings ISD Board of Trustees that technology and capital costs are rising sharply and will likely shape any forthcoming bond proposal.
Masek outlined several near‑term and long‑range needs: replacing network switches and access points across campuses (initial estimate roughly $800,000, which he warned could rise to $1.2 million by next summer), replacing aging middle‑school HVAC units (29 years old), replacing the turf on the football field (estimate $700,000–$800,000), and updating the high‑school roof and large HVAC units (multi‑million dollar project). He also recommended reviewing the bus fleet replacement plan; purchasing 10 buses could cost roughly $1.7 million based on recent prices.
"We spend $250,000 a year in this district on what they call subscriptions or licensing," Masek said, pointing to annual licensing, cybersecurity and endpoint detection and response (EDR) costs. He said EDR and cybersecurity licensing alone were approximately $72,000 per year. Masek described the cumulative effect of recurring technology expenses and equipment end‑of‑life cycles as a growing budget pressure.
Masek said the district has purchased mandated security items — breaching tools and armored shields — and will conduct lockdown drills and set up first‑responder access to keys and safes at each campus. He reported progress on the sale of the old GES property, noting inspections and a planned closing date around March 20–21.
Trustees and staff discussed options for packaging needs into a bond. Masek suggested considering additional bond funding without increasing taxes, citing options discussed with the district’s financial advisor. He also reminded trustees that many costs (servers, switches, buses, turf) have increased rapidly and recommended the board and bond committee prioritize projects.
The report concluded with a list of completed, short‑, mid‑ and long‑range projects and an invitation for trustees to review a project list and participate in bond discussions during the budget process.
