LISD board alters fitness center
Louise ISD is creating the center, at a cost of about $57,000, to accommodate fitness gear it will buy with a $200,000 federal grant.
By BRENDA SOMMER bsommer@leader-news.com

A delay in accepting an air conditioning bid for a new fitness center led the Louise ISD school board to change the design of the space.

LISD trustees walked over to the district's old elementary gymnasium Nov. 26 to take another look at the old locker room, storage, office and shower space that will become the fitness center.

Louise ISD is creating the center, at a cost of about $57,000, to accommodate fitness gear it will buy with a $200,000 federal grant for physical education equipment and teacher training.

Besides training PE teachers, the money can only be used for physical education equipment for students in all grades, specifically targeting elementary students.

Uncertainty over how much air conditioning would be needed led the trustees to delay accepting a bid for cooling and heating Nov. 15.

At that meeting, trustees received two bids for air and heat, one for around $13,000 and the other for $11,996. Those bids were to install 10 tons of air conditioning and two heating units in the fitness center, including ductwork and piping.

But board members questioned the need for 10 tons of air conditioning in the 1,705- square-foot space, feeling that amount was overkill.

However, Peters told trustees Monday the space is actually 3,218 square feet, and has poor insulation.

"So the 10 tons, we just stuck with that," he said.

In the discussion over the heating and air, questions were raised about locating an office in the center, which under current plans would cut the space in half.

Trustees then moved their meeting to the gym, took a look at the proposed office space and decided to move it into a corner so the fitness equipment would all be in one large open area.

The board voted 6-0 with trustee Mark Wendel absent to accept the low bid for the heating and air conditioning, made by Cannell Air Conditioning and Heating of El Campo.

They held off planned approval of bids for the fitness equipment because Peters was still waiting on a third bid to arrive.