I was sworn in at 3:15 this afternoon, and by 4:30 I was sitting at the dais for my first work session as your District 3 representative. A lot of you have asked what actually happens at these meetings, so here is how it went, what I voted on, and why.
What was on the agenda
Most of the night was facilities and money. The agenda covered a capital plan update, architect agreements for two big projects, two bids (a lease for modular classroom buildings and pizza delivery), the HR report, and a professional services report. There was also one resolution, recognizing our military-connected families.
Purple Star resolution: I signed it
This one didn't need a vote, and I was glad to sign it. I spent 22 years in the Army, and I know what moving every couple of years asks of a family and a kid. New schools, new friends, a parent who may be deployed. A commitment from the district to those families matters, and I'm proud to put my name on it.
Architect agreements: I voted yes
This is where the money is, so I want to be careful explaining it.
The board approved architect agreements for two projects. One is Lee and New Century: a campus reorientation, a new administrative area for New Century, a black-box theatre renovation, and a gym addition. The other is new turf fields and rubberized tracks at all five of our high schools, including Grissom, plus re-turfing Milton Frank Stadium. The base architect fees are $862,500 on a $14 million program for Lee and New Century, and $690,000 on a $16.5 million program for turf and track. An owner's representative firm, TCU, manages the projects on the district's behalf.
I voted yes because this vote is the starting line, not the finish. It starts the design work. It does not approve construction. The board will see design reviews at 30, 60 and 90 percent, and these projects come back to us for another vote when they go out to bid and we have a real contractor price. That is the point where I will push hardest on cost.
I also know people will ask why the district isn't taking competing bids from architects. As it was explained to me, architects' fees in Alabama follow a state fee schedule and professional services aren't bid on price, so every firm would charge the same. That answers the price question. It doesn't fully answer why a particular firm gets picked, and I'm going to keep asking that. I'll also keep asking how the owner's rep fee is checked, since that one isn't on the state schedule.
HR report: I voted yes
The HR report is the routine business of running a school district: leaves, resignations, transfers, supplements and agreements. I voted yes because schools need these positions filled and people paid. I did notice a few agreements with start dates before the board approved them, and I want to understand how the district handles that against its own policy.
Professional services report: I voted yes
The two items on the report are ACAP test-prep agreements at Morris and Rolling Hills Elementary, $4,600 each. Extra test-prep help for students is something I support. My question is how those two schools were chosen, and whether schools in District 3 could get the same help.
What the capital plan means for District 3
The update was good news for several of our schools:
Chaffee: the new gym is finished.
Farley: the new gym opens in May 2027.
Weatherly: a $9.5 million project is in design, with bids going out at the end of the first quarter of 2027.
The update showed nothing yet for Challenger Elementary, Challenger Middle, Mountain Gap Elementary or Mountain Gap Middle. That may only mean nothing is scheduled yet, but I'm going to ask what the plan is for those campuses and when families will hear about it.
What I'm watching next
The design reviews on the architect projects, and the cost when they come back for bid.
How the turf and track work is phased across the five high schools, and where Grissom falls in that order.
The bids for the modular building lease and pizza delivery, which came up on the agenda. I'm watching for when they come to a vote.
A clear schedule for the Challenger and Mountain Gap campuses.
If you have a question about any of this, or something you want me to look into, send me a message. You elected me to listen and to ask the questions you would ask, and I would rather you hear it from me than from a rumor.