Troup board members balk at softball field price
BY CHARLOTTE SMITH Editor

Photo/Charlotte Smith DeeAnn Berryhill receives her certificate for Teacher of the Month from middle school principal Ava Johnson. Berryhill works with special education classes on all three campuses.

The price tag for renovating the girls softball field had Troup ISD trustees crying foul Monday at the board's regular monthly meeting.

The lowest bid came in at $421,400, more than twice the cost of renovating the boys field earlier this year.

Trustees did not approve the plans and asked designers to work with the low bidder, TCMC Commercial LLP out of Tyler, to try and value engineer the project and reduce the cost.

Trustee Keith Lindsey also asked that the board be given a summary of what could be done for a maximum of $200,000.

The board approved a motion to pursue these two avenues, as well as giving authorization for a topographical survey and any other necessary action to get a firm estimate for building a new field rather than renovating the existing one.

A new field would sit between the railroad tracks and the boys field and be the property of TISD. The current field is owned by Troup Youth Association, which earlier donated $10,000 toward the renovation project.

Troup Elementary School Principal Debbie Moxley recognizes Tiffany Square as her student of the month.

Plan designers told trustees at Monday's meeting that building a new field would push the cost to around $640,000.

Renovations to the boys field consisted primarily of expanding and adding new bleachers, new dugouts and some fencing in the dugout and backstop area. Those improvements cost $165,000.

Due to drainage issues, plans for the softball field call for the field to be moved about 20 feet to the west. The move would not call for new lighting or sprinkler systems, but would require new fencing which makes up more than $68,000 of the low bid proposal.

The plans also call for the dugouts to be recessed and the bleachers raised to improve visibility. Those two features would cost about $30,000.

The plans also include several features to meet handicap accessible guidelines for both the field and bathroom access. Approximately $27,000 of the low bid was for bathroom renovation.

Troup Middle School Principal Ava Johnson recognizes Kirby Lyon as her student of the month. Campus principals made the presentations at Monday's regular monthly meeting of the Troup ISD school board.

In other agenda items, trustees approved the 2007 certified tax roll levy. Jennifer Stewart, the district's financial officer, listed the tax roll levy as $4,472,392, a drop from last year. Appraiser Lee Flowers told trustees that the decline could be attributed to a decline in mineral values and production.

Trustees also nominated Keith Lindsey for the Cherokee County Appraisal District board of directors and Homer Jones for the Smith County Appraisal District board of directors.

The board recognized students, teacher and employee of the month. Pam Jenkinson was honored as employee of the month. She has been an aide at the elementary for 15 years.

DeeAnn Berr yhill is the district's teacher of the month. Middle school principal Ava Johnson presented Berryhill, who works with special education classes on all campuses.

Troup High School Principal Derek Driver recognizes Cinia Garcia as his student of the month.

Elementary student of the month is fourth-grader Tiffany Square. Principal Debbie Moxley praised Tiffany as a happy, positive student who "always makes me smile." Square participates in the Afterschool Arts program and UIL spelling.

Middle school student of the month is Kirby Lyon. Johnson said Lyon serves on the student council, plays football and is well-liked by his classmates.

High school student of the month is Cinia Garcia. Principal Derek Driver said Garcia plays tennis, is a member of the National Honor Society and always makes the honor roll.

Trustees heard an update on campus projects from Dewayne Brown, director of support services, and the financial report from Stewart. She told the board about changes in the Texas Education Agency payment system and reviewed investments.

Prior to the regular meeting, a public hearing was held to review the district's financial integrity rating. Troup ISD received the highest rating of superior achievement.

The rating system grades schools on a set of 21 indicators. Troup received one "no" or negative response. Stewart said the school does not spend 54 percent of its budget on instruction. Beaty said the school's capital improvement projects contributed to that, but he felt the percentage was misleading because of what the system considers "instruction."