By Edmond Ortiz
Staff Writer

The Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City School Board March 27 authorized its superintendent to negotiate an agreement between the district and the city of Cibolo to help bolster water service for the new Schlather Intermedi-ate School site.

Such a pact would permit extending a waterline to boost fire protection service for the campus, on which the district will break ground April 17 near Cibolo Valley Drive and Green Valley Road.

SCUC and the city of Cibolo recently talked with the Green Valley Special Utility District to see how much water Green Valley could provide Schlather regarding fire protection.

Cibolo City Council was slated this week to act on the agreement to allow installation of water lines to the school site.

Board members also authorized Superintendent Belinda Pustka to negotiate an interlocal agreement with the city of Schertz for the use of district and city parking facilities.

Such a pact here would allow each governing entity to use each other’s parking facilities at Clemens High School and Schertz City Hall during non-school and business hours.

In other action March 27, trustees:

* Awarded a $1.59 million bid to F.A. Nunnelly General Contractors to build a new bus barn for the district’s transportation department. Proposition I of the voter-approved 2006 bond issue is funding this project.

* Approved an interlocal agreement with Guadalupe County and Public Health Region 8 of the Texas Department of State Health to use Steele High School as a medical distribution Point in the event of a public health emergency. Such emergencies could include an anthrax attack or some other major pandemic outbreak.

* Approved 54 new positions for the 2008-2009 school year for include Sippel Elementary and Schlather Intermediate schools. Sippel will open this fall.

The board also fielded a presentation by the citizen’s bond advisory committee. The panel reported on other remaining projects under Prop I of the 2006 bond issue. Construction on Sippel Elementary is 76 percent.

Construction of the Schertz Elementary School replacement is 9 percent done. Construction of the Wieder-stein Elementary School replacement is 66 percent finished. Development of the Corbett Junior High School is 10 percent complete.

Board members previously approved a $300,000 budget increase for Corbett for foundation reinforcement due to soil conditions at the site.

The advisory committee also reported on other remaining projects under Proposition II of the 2006 package.

Improvements at Jordan Intermediate School are done, and a districtwide upgrade of facility roofs is also essentially complete.

Construction of the science classroom wings at Clemens High and Dobie Junior High schools is more than 75 percent finished at each campus.

Upgrades to the ventilation systems are reported at 36 percent done and 57 percent done at Clemens and Dobie, respectively.