By Edmond Ortiz
Staff Writer

Officials with the Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City School District have hit a milestone of sorts in the development of new schools being funded by the 2006 bond issue. The school board July 19 reviewed schematics for Elaine Schlather Intermediate School, which will be constructed at Cibolo Valley Drive and Green Valley Road.

It is the final new school schematic that district administrators and consultants are working to develop from last year’s bond package. The architectural firm of O’Connell Robertson seeks to finish its design plans for Schlather Intermediate in December.

The architects gathered input not only from district administrators but from faculty and other employees who would wind up at the new campus. Serving 800 fifth- and sixth-graders, the new school will have one major access point with three overall drop-off and pick-up points.

Each of the two L-shaped classroom wings will have a courtyard. Each classroom would have access to exterior lighting. All public access/shared spots will be at the central core of the campus, creating a compact space and ensuring relatively short distances among certain destinations.

Schlather Intermediate will feature two gymnasiums and oversized computer labs. The art room and library will share a courtyard. Architects are also recommending enhanced energy-efficiency with window awnings.

Administrators and consultants implemented a one-story “X” design as a basic physical footprint for each new school under development.

The campus is named after Elaine Schlather, a former educator who had begun her career at the former Lower Valley School, a two-room school house that still stands at Lower Seguin Road. She retired from SCUCISD in 1976.

Wade Hawkins, district director of construction and facilities, briefed the board about construction taking place under the 2006 bond issue. The recent rains have slowed work a bit at several new construction and improvement sites.

Work continues on the classroom additions at Watts Elementary and Jordan Intermediate schools. Construction workers have poured the first floor of new science wings at Clemens High and Dobie Junior High schools.

Site work is ongoing at the Wiederstein replacement and Sippel Elementary campuses. Construction drawings for the new junior high school are complete. Construction on this campus is due to start in October with completion scheduled for April 2009.

Design drawings for the Schertz Elementary replacement campus were done in June. Construction here is scheduled to start in August or September, and be complete by October 2008. The school district also requested from the city of Schertz permission to install an alternative fencing scheme at this campus.

Trustees also approved selling an 11.9-acre tract of land to the city of Cibolo for $360,000, plus the costs of survey, title policy and other closing factors. The city plans to build a new water tower at the site, which is located at Farm Road 1103 and Weidner Road. The sale is contingent on Cibolo City Council approving the same agreement, which was on this week’s meeting agenda.

SCUC originally purchased the land for $17,000 per acre earlier this decade, using monies from the district’s 2000 bond issue. SCUC officials had then envisioned building an elementary school on the property – an idea that is no longer feasible because of the state’s planned expansion of FM 1103.