Victoria ISD School Board trustees determined a path forward for Stroman and Liberty students and staff at their Tuesday, Jan 18 Board Workshop, which was a follow-up to the December Board Workshop where trustees considered multiple initial options.
District Administration has been consulting with architects, engineers, local contractors, and resident experts for the past several months to determine cost estimates and timeline expectations for needed building repairs and renovations.
The Trustees determined Stroman STEM Academy & Middle School will remain at the Liberty campus allowing for the Liberty campus to undergo some modifications to create a more appropriate STEM middle school environment, including renovations to provide spaces for a library, band hall, and STEM Lab. Liberty Credit Recovery and DAEP programs will move to the Stroman campus and utilize the classrooms in the outside wings of the campus which were not impacted by the mold, asbestos, and related HVAC system and building issues that prompted the sudden move of Stroman students and staff in August of 2021.
The portion of the Stroman campus that is currently uninhabitable due to mold and asbestos is the four-story main building that previously housed the core educational classes. It was determined that renovations of this four-story main building would require extensive mechanical, electrical, and plumbing system replacements, in addition to the mold remediation and asbestos abatement, with costs estimated to exceed $11 million. This scenario was not considered a viable option due to the extensive renovation work required and the anticipated costs, along with concerns with the time frame needed to complete the work due to current supply chain delays.
In order to bring the Liberty campus fully online as a STEM middle school campus and relocate the Credit Recovery and DAEP programs to the Stroman campus, the scope of work is anticipated to be in the $3 to $4 million range. Additionally, Student Services offices currently housed at the Liberty campus will be relocated to the Stroman campus band hall, which would become home to VISD Connections. VISD Connections would consolidate several areas within VISD to one facility that would allow for a Parent Technology Center, Clothing and Hygiene Closet, Food Pantry, Family & Community Connection, and more.
The next steps for the District will include meeting with staff to plan and prepare, finalizing details, bringing information forward for Trustees, and updating the community.
Click HERE to view the Board Workshop and presentation.