CISD begins renovations of facilities

In order to maintain Clarendon ISD’s facilities, several buildings within the district are receiving renovations over the summer break.

“Each summer we try to improve our facilities, and that’s what we decided to work on this year,” Clarendon School Superintendent Monty Hysinger said. “We need to keep our older buildings functional and extend the life of them for at least another 15 years.”

Hysinger said that their “biggest goal” is to replace the main water lines that feed all the areas in the Junior High and Elementary.

“The Elementary and Jr. High are two of our oldest buildings, and the old water lines that run overhead have really deteriorated over time,” he said. “They’ve even begun to leak in some places.”

The Ag building will receive several upgrades, including a ventilation system to the shop, new heaters, a drop ceiling and new flooring to the classroom, and energy efficient lighting. They will also block in unused windows and paint the building inside and out.

“These renovations are going to make the building very nice, and they’re long overdue,” ag teacher Don Hillis said. “It’s going to make the teaching and the working go a lot better, and the new lights in the shop are going to make it outstanding.”

 Another building undergoing renovations is the Field House, which will receive a new paint job inside and out, blocked up windows, wall mount HVAC units, energy efficient lighting, electrical upgrades and concrete poured for drainage to stop water leakage into the facility.

Public restroom areas will also be redone.

“I think this is long overdo,” head coach Gary Jack said. “Very little has been done to the field house since it was built in the late 50s or 60s besides the paint job. I think it was time for the bathroom facilities to be updated. It will be nice. It is a well used facility, and I think we definitely needed that.”

The weight room will gain new lighting, HVAC units, more insulation, and paint to the inside. 
“These improvements will make the weight room a much better working environment,” Jack said. “It can get to be over 100 degrees in August and September, and it will be a much nicer unit for us.”

Hysinger said that in order to alter the route in which high school students take to park their vehicles during school, they will put safety panels and gates between north of the Bronco Gym and the Bronco Stadium wall.

“This will provide more safety for kids dropped off by their parents at D-wing,” he said. “People will still be able to walk on the sidewalk though.”

Altogether, Hysinger estimates the different improvements to cost between $180,000 and $250,000, depending on the completion date, which is expected to be mid-July.

“These renovations are well worth what they cost in exchange for more years of useful service out of our buildings,” he said. “If we don’t take care of it now, it can get to a point where we can’t take care of it.”