Northside Independent School District trustees took action on items for new schools and construction projects, including approving the guaranteed price maximum (GMP) for Kyle Seale Middle School and Leslie Road Elementary School.

The GPM for the Kyle Seale building package was set to $39,167,996. Joeris Construction is the construction manager at risk for the new school.

The Leslie Road building package was set to $20,688,107, with Bartlett Cocke as the construction manager at risk.

Under a GPM, contractor guarantees the price of a school at a certain amount.

“If it costs less, the district saves that money; if it costs more, the contractor has to absorb the extra cost,” said Karen Adler, NISD spokeswoman.

The new schools are part of a districtwide bond program to introduce new schools into the area to reach a higher demand. NISD welcomed a record number of students for the start of the 2007-08 school year. More than 85,500 students are enrolled, an increase of 4,000 students from last year.

Three new schools, Aue and Driggers elementary schools and Jefferson Middle School joined the other 98 schools in the district that serve students throughout this 355-square mile school district. Eleven additional new schools and 725 new classrooms are slated to be completed in the next three years. The new schools are the result of successful bond elections in 2004 and 2007 that are funding the construction of hundreds of classrooms throughout NISD.

Last year, saw the completion of fully integrated security systems at all NISD high schools. This year, the initiative will be expanded to the middle schools thanks to the passage of School Bond 2007. The systems are designed to provide 24-hour real time surveillance. High schools have reported a decrease in serious incidents on their campuses. The high school security systems are a result of the voter-approved Bond 2004.