During its Feb. 18 school board meeting, Boerne ISD trustees approved measures that ensure that the older Boerne High School will be equitable to its newer sister school.

The board took action that allows for the renovation efforts at Boerne High School to be comparable to facilities being provided at Boerne-Samuel Champion High School.

“We’ve cut (the construction budget) as much as possible, while keeping the two campuses as equitable in scope as possible,” said Jeff Haberstroh, construction bond administrator.

According to the Houston Associated General Contractors, the average high school campus costs between $156 to $197 a square foot.

“Ours is $153 a square foot. That’s $3 less a square foot,” Haberstroh said. “And, we’re putting in a very, very good campus out there. Voters can be proud.”

The board approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price, or GMP, for the renovations at the Boerne High School campus not to exceed $21.8 million. The renovations budget before the vote was $19.7 million, established in 2004. Now, the team will negotiate the contracts for construction, expected to begin June 1, Haberstroh said.

“We worked very hard creating a facility that’s going to be comparable. You’re not going to go onto that campus thinking this is a renovated campus,” said Trustee Lydia Beaver, chairperson for the bond advisory committee. “I think the community would be disappointed if we cut any further. We’ve worked very hard to keep the schools we promised to the public.”

Haberstroh advised the board that the team might return at some future date to ask for more funding for additional amenities and facilities at the Greyhound campus if needed to ensure the equity between the two high school campuses.

“This was very important to the voters and we want to keep that promise,” he said.

Meanwhile, building the new high school continued to have its own challenges, especially when that means staying within monetary parameters of the 2004 bond issue, Haberstroh told the board, listing some of the hurdles the construction and design team has faced.

Copper and steel markets have been volatile. Texas Hill Country ranks as one of the highest in construction costs in the state. The team faced significant stumbling blocks and continues battling escalation costs. One hundred acres “with nothing else out there” presents utility dilemmas. However, Haberstroh ended by stating that Boerne-Champion High School, expected to open August, is on budget and on time.