School district to make major funding decisions

By TONY VINDELL
Special to the NEWS

The San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (SBCISD) is working on the upcoming new budget and expects to make some major decisions, particularly when it comes to funding some unfinished projects.

District Superintendent of Schools Theresa Servellon gave an update on the three multi-million dollar projects approved in a 2018 $40 million bond election which are now expected to cost several millions over originally budgeted.

For example, the original cost of the indoor multipurpose facility was estimated anywhere from $3.5 million to $4 million, but the cost of the new-completed facility went up to $11.02 million as of June 30, 2022.
The aquatic center that is under construction was projected to cost from $5 million to $5.5 million but the latest cost is at more than $11 million.

But the cost for the Performing Arts Center that is also under construction went down from the original estimate of $30 million to $31 million to $24.74 million.

The figures provided for some of the projects do not include an array of additional expenses such as civil engineer costs, landscaping, parking lots, sidewalks, curb and gutter and many fixtures.

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