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TISD taps high school design firm By Jason Schaefer The Taylor ISD Board of Trustees agreed Monday to enter into negotiations with the architectural firm SHW Group for the construction of a new high school facility if a bond issue to pay for it passes in November. The board also considered Graeber, Simmons & Cowan and Komatsu Corgan Architects, and the district may turn to one of those firms if a satisfactory agreement cannot be reached with SHW Group. Last month, the school board reviewed presentations from each of the three firms. Each board member rated their preference, and SHW earned the highest vote total. SHW was the only firm considered that specializes in educational architecture, which impressed the board, according to board President James “Bo” Stiles. The other two build schools along with other community facilities. Komatsu built the Taylor Public Library and the Taylor Central Fire Station. “SHW is one of the premier contractors,” Stiles said. “All they do is build campuses, and they’re very good at what they do. They’re very innovative and I think with them we’ll get the very most for our money.” Identifying the firm the school board plans to hire before a bond election is standard practice for school boards across Texas, according to Stiles. It allows the firm to prepare initial plans for what the school will look like, giving the board ample time to make adjustments before signing any contracts. “It gives the voting public a general idea what they’re voting on,” Stiles said. “And architectural firms are responsible to support the district with their bond issues, to present them to the public.” If an agreement is reached, the company will help the district convince voters to support the bond issue that will pay for the new high school and improvements to city schools. Though SHW has won the nomination, no contracts have been signed, and if the bond does not pass the district is not responsible to pay any fees to the company, Stiles said. SHW will prepare a general design to present to the board, and to the public if the board approves the design. The firm will give the board an estimate on what the design will cost, and the board will work to make sure the design stays within the $42.1 million ceiling the board approved earlier this year. “The design must match the confines of the money we’re willing to spend,” Stiles said. “Even if the bond passes, we don’t have to accept the design.” The board has still not decided whether to build a three-year high school or a four-year high school facility. They will vote on the option later in the year. Lamar Urbanovsky, project manager from LANWalton, the management company that will act as the liaison between the district and SHW, is worried about the consequences inflation may have on the cost of the new facility. According to Urbanovsky, Port Arthur ISD, which has a contract with SHW to build a new educational support center, has seen the cost for school projects increase by two percent a month while facilities are still being built. Urbanovsky estimates an increase of 12 percent for the total cost of the TISD high school by the time it is finished. “We’re going to have to rein in SHW and make sure they don’t go over budget,” Urbanovsky told Taylor school board members. Urbanovsky and LANWalton will help TISD and SHW encourage the public to vote in favor of the bond. Representatives from LANWalton will coordinate town meetings to help the school district address the public directly. Texas law prevents the school board from action that could directly sway voters for or against any political issue, including bond elections. According to Urbanovsky, winning public favor for the bond during early voting will be critical to pass the issue.
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