Waco ISD board approves change order to fold asbestos abatement into demolition of old Waco High

The Waco Independent School District board voted to approve change order No. 3 to incorporate asbestos abatement into the demolition contract for the existing Waco High School building.

District project staff told trustees the abatement work made more sense bundled with demolition because some asbestos is adhered to building materials and removing it separately would be far more expensive. "There’s some parts of the asbestos that's actually stuck to the building material, so it doesn't make sense to go and scrape it off," the project presenter said, explaining the change to the contract with Rogers‑O'Brien and noting the decision follows earlier board approvals on the project.

Trustees discussed the demolition timeline. Staff forecast phased demolition starting at the gym area and moving through the site, with abatement and demolition work continuing through the summer and likely into early fall; staff said demolition work would take about three months from the time abatement is fully complete. When a trustee asked about air quality monitoring, the presenter responded that air‑quality testing is performed as part of the abatement work. "They do air quality testing as part of the process during the abatement," the presenter said.

The chair called for a motion to approve change order No. 3; after a motion and second, the board voted and the item passed unanimously. The record shows the board took formal action to authorize the change order so the district can proceed into the demolition phase with abatement included.

Next steps include implementing the phased demolition plan and coordinating campus moves and storage of historic materials from the site as described earlier by staff.