New textbooks, materials and security upgrades are coming to Fort Worth ISD schools.
They are part of the more than $24 million in purchases that the school board approved in April.
Trustees also shifted almost $86 million in 2021 bond funds to revise the budgets of several projects and set the maximum cost for renovations at Leonard Middle School at $38.48 million.
Here’s what trustees approved:
Revised budgets for 2021 bond projects
- What is it? Trustees approved the revision of bond project budgets. School board member Michael Ryan voted against the move, because he wanted to wait until the completion of the district’s school closure and organization studies before moving bond money around.
- What’s the cost?
- $1 million increase for Workforce Based High School and Daggett Montessori projects; revised budget: $42.58 million
- $14.5 million increase for Forest Oak Middle School; revised budget: $69.1 million
- $23 million increase for Eastern Hills Elementary School; revised budget: $67.2 million
- $6.8 million decrease for early childhood centers; revised budget: $6.8 million
- $14.5 million increase for Maudrie Walton Elementary; revised budget: $58.7 million.
- $9.17 million decrease for Rolling Hills Elementary; revised budget: $49.58 million
- $17 million decrease for building and land acquisition; revised budget: $9 million
- Where’s the funding coming from? 2021 bond
- What was the vote? 6-3, with trustees Ryan, Tobi Jackson and Kevin Lynch against.
Guaranteed maximum price for Leonard Middle School renovations
- What is it? Trustees set the maximum price for the renovation of Leonard Middle School.
- What’s the cost? Not to exceed $38.48 million
- Who’s the vendor? SFP²
- Where’s the funding coming from? 2021 bond
- What was the vote? 8-1, with Lynch against
New instructional materials
- What is it? Trustees approved new instructional materials for K-12 science; K-8 technology applications; career and technical education; and personal financial literacy and economics. The State Board of Education updated standards for those courses in November 2023.
- What’s the total cost? $17.7 million
- Who are the vendors, and how much are they getting?
- Savvas: $7,786,096
- HMH: $6,046,267
- Learning.com: $1,478,400
- eDynamic Learning: $618,700
- iCEV: $556,796
- Activate Learning: $507,783
- Goodheart Willcox: $318,169
- Cengage: $201,826
- Code HS: $114,024
- BE Publishing: $99,842
- National Healthcareer Association: $49,500
- Where’s the funding coming from? $12.9 million from the Texas Education Agency’s instructional materials allotment and $4.87 million from the general fund.
- What was the vote? Unanimous
External audit services
- What is it? Trustees hired an external auditor, as required under state law.
- What’s the cost? $140,000 for the first year. The contract comes with four one-year renewals that increase each year. The total five-year cost is not expected to exceed $744,700.
- Who’s the vendor? The school board picked Dallas-based Weaver and Tidwell over Fort Worth-based Whitley Penn.
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the contract was on the consent agenda, a list of items considered routine that can be approved in one vote.
Public safety radios
- What is it? Trustees approved the purchase of handheld radios for Fort Worth ISD safety and security staff members to communicate with school resource offices, the city’s police department and other law enforcement agencies.
- What’s the cost? $154,821
- Who’s the vendor? Motorola
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Key access boxes
- What is it? Trustees approved the replacement of 11 key access boxes to meet updated school safety standards. The boxes are required so police and fire departments can access the school in case of an emergency.
- What’s the cost? Not to exceed $160,000
- Who’s the vendor? Digi Security Systems
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Metal detectors
- What is it? New metal detectors from Safeware that will replace older walk-through models in schools.
- What’s the cost? $83,791
- Who’s the vendor? Safeware
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Curriculum for Junior Cadet Corps programs
- What is it? A new curriculum that brings the district’s Junior ROTC programs in line with new state standards and initiatives.
- What’s the cost? $121,700
- Who’s the vendor? Turning Technology
- Where’s the funding coming from? Federal pandemic relief funds
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Math software licenses
- What is it? A digital math program called DreamBox for students in kindergarten through fifth grade who are struggling in the subject.
- What’s the cost? $817,500
- Who’s the vendor? Discovery Education
- Where’s the funding coming from? Federal pandemic relief funds
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Uniforms for secondary choir programs
- What is it? The purchase of new uniforms for students in middle and high school choir programs.
- What’s the cost? $104,124
- Who’s the vendor? Tuxedo Connect
- Where’s the funding coming from? TRE
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Portable sound systems
- What is it? Portable sound systems for high school marching bands.
- What’s the cost? $326,258
- Who’s the vendor? Romeo Music
- Where’s the funding coming from? Federal pandemic relief funds
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
New guidance and counseling software
- What is it? Software that guidance counselors use for course planning and transcript management.
- What’s the cost? $177,422
- Who’s the vendor? SchooLinks
- Where’s the funding coming from? General fund
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Service requests software
- What is it? A cloud-based program that manages maintenance service requests and tracks work orders.
- What’s the cost? $76,958
- Who’s the vendor? Brightly Software
- Where’s the funding coming from? General fund
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
More funds for fire sprinkler repairs
- What is it? An additional $50,000 for fire sprinkler repairs. Trustees approved $114,217 for the repairs in June 2023.
- What’s the cost? $50,000; total cost: $165,217
- Who’s the vendor? Western States Fire Protection
- Where’s the funding coming from? General fund and TRE
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Additional funds for air conditioning unit maintenance
- What is it? An additional $225,000 for filter replacement on heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. Trustees initially approved $765,000 for maintenance in June 2023. Since then, the district added more units and the cost of filters increased.
- What’s the cost? $225,000; total: $990,000
- Who’s the vendor? Tex Air Filters
- Where’s the funding coming from? General fund
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Third-party firm to evaluate playgrounds
- What is it? Kaboom, a nonprofit that builds playgrounds, was tapped to assess all playgrounds in Fort Worth ISD. The assessment will be used to schedule playground replacements. Kaboom has built playgrounds for Fort Worth ISD.
- What’s the cost? $78,000
- Who’s the vendor? Kaboom
- Where’s the funding coming from? TRE
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Construction services at Eastern Hills High School
- What is it? Additional funds for 2017 bond-funded improvements at Eastern Hills High. Crews found unforeseen structural issues in sections of the school that need to be fixed.
- What’s the cost? Not to exceed $200,000
- Who’s the vendor? Wesson Construction Services
- Where’s the funding coming from? 2017 bond
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
Construction manager at risk for Monnig Middle School upgrades
- What is it? Trustees allowed the superintendent to enter into a contract for a construction manager at risk for the renovation of Monnig Middle School. The superintendent will negotiate with construction firms Reeder and Summit, which sought the bid together.
- What’s the cost? Not to exceed $25,000
- Who’s the vendor? To be determined; negotiations ongoing
- Where’s the funding coming from? 2021 bond
- What was the vote? Unanimous; the item was on the consent agenda.
New math instructional materials
- What is it? New math materials as required by TEA.
- What’s the cost? $1.6 million for materials from Carnegie Learning; $2.19 million for materials from Great Minds
- Where’s the funding coming from? Federal pandemic relief funds
- What was the vote? Unanimous, in two separate votes
Fuel supply and storage management services
- What is it? A contract for fuel supply and storage management services that the district uses for buses.
- What’s the cost? Not to exceed $1.5 million
- Who’s the vendor? FleetCor Technologies
- Where’s the funding coming from? General fund
- What was the vote? Unanimous
Student shuttle services
- What is it? A shuttle services contract for homeless and special education students. Trustees approved $1 million in funding in September 2023. Since then, student ridership has increased.
- What’s the cost? Additional $550,000; total: $1.5 million
- Who’s the vendor? Everdriven
- Where’s the funding coming from? General fund
- What was the vote? Unanimous
Jacob Sanchez is an enterprise journalist for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at jacob.sanchez@fortworthreport.org or @_jacob_sanchez. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
