Anderson-Shiro expansion lauded at groundbreaking

By Hank Hargrave

ANDERSON - Anderson--Shiro CISD officials took the next official step towards growth Monday, breaking ground on the site of the planned two-story junior high school addition.

However, Anderson-Shiro CISD Superintendent Dr. Heath Burns said during Monday's event that a planned walking tour of all of the district's building sites at the secondary campus - a track, a physical education facility and a band hall are also part of $3.96 million construction project approved by voters last November - would have to wait.

"Unless you want to get muddy feet, best case scenario, or a small child drowning, worst case scenario, we'll dispense with that part of the program," Dr. Burns said, drawing laughter from the crowd.

About 50 people were on hand for Monday's ground-breaking, including all members of the Anderson-Shiro CISD Board of Trustees and assorted faculty members, staff and administrators. Also on hand - longtime Anderson-Shiro CISD Superintendent and former Anderson Mayor John Freeman, who was the last superintendent to pass a bond issue in the district prior to Dr. Burns' arrival; Paul Malek and Wayne Blair, owners of MBC Management of College Station, the design-build firm in charge of the $3.96 million construction project; Steve Duncan of Pledger Kalkomey Inc. of Brenham, who is serving as the district's representative on the project; Grimes County Appraisal District Chief Appraiser Bill Sullivan; County Judge James Dixon; Sheriff Don Sowell; Anderson Mayor Gail Sowell; Anderson attorney Lovett Boggess; and County Tax Assessor-Collector Connie Perry.

In brief remarks prior to the ground-breaking in the secondary school cafeteria, Dr. Burns said that, when he joined the district as superintendent in December 2000, the largest bond issue ever attempted by the district had just been rejected.

It also marked the third time in less than five years that Anderson-Shiro CISD voters had turned down a bond issue.

"The alarming part was, all of them had failed 75 percent to 25 percent. A lot of districts would've been beaten down, would've quit. This board decided to be an advocate for the kids, and decided to go forward with another proposal, and told me, if this one is defeated, then go back again. And if that one is defeated, then go back again," he said.

In September 2002, Anderson-Shiro CISD voters approved a $450,000 bond issue which added 15 years to the life of the district's elementary school, as well as purchased new buses. However, overcrowded conditions, in which numerous portable buildings were being used for classroom purposes, continued to exist.

"At that point, the board members - and then the community - decided that students in Navasota, Iola and Houston shouldn't have a better learning environment than our kids. We're still behind those districts a little bit, but we're gaining ground," said Dr. Burns.

On Saturday, Nov. 22, 2003, district voters overwhelmingly approved four bond propositions aimed at getting district students out of portable classrooms.

Proposition 1 called for expansion of the secondary school by 15 classrooms, and expansion of the

secondary cafeteria to accommodate

75 additional students, calling for a two-story junior high school building to be constructed, at an estimated cost of $2.425 million. Dr. Burns said Proposition 1 was approved by 75 percent of voters.

Proposition 2 called for construction of a new outdoor physical education facility at the secondary school, to be used for

instructional purposes. The facility will feature outdoor basketball goals and tennis courts, built near the current baseball field, at an estimated cost of $390,000. That proposition was approved by 67 percent of voters, Dr. Burns said Monday.

Proposition 3 called for construction of a track, keeping district athletes from having to run on farm-to-market roads or be bused to Navasota ISD facilities to practice. The facility will feature safety lights, but the lights will not accommodate night track events.

Total cost is estimated at $485,000, and was approved by 66 percent of voters.

Proposition 4 called for construction of a band hall and expansion of the secondary school library. This project will expand the library by about 750 feet, and will also build a band hall to start

a band program in grades five through 12. Total cost is estimated

at $660,000, which includes the cost of start-up band instruments.

"This was probably the most debated of the propositions, as the board didn't want to do anything to distract students from other programs, such as vocational agriculture and athletics. So, they decided to let the voters have the final say. And the voters approved it by 58 percent in favor, meaning that, beginning in December, our students will have an option they did not have before," Dr. Burns said Monday.

Anderson-Shiro CISD board president Susan Boggess said Monday was "a joyous occasion."

"Soon, we'll have a first-class facility to match the first-class education that students are receiving in Anderson-Shiro CISD," she said.