On May 4th, voters passed a bond giving the Banquette School District $48,445,000 million.
The bond listed several items, but school leaders said the priority is paying for a new middle school.
“It makes me feel good, that they will be in a safe secure place, it will be healthy,” Melanie Walker, a parent of two kids in Banquete ISD.
Walker has a kid in kindergarten and another in second grade, she said even though both her kids are in elementary, she is looking forward for them to go into a new and updated middle school.
“It will probably be a little more roomier, so it will be very exciting for them to experience that,” Walker said.
“There are improvements that are supposed to be made, along with a new junior high, which that is what everybody is really excited about,” Adrian Peña, Banquete ISD’s Assistant Superintendent of Business, said.
“We are running out of space, it is outdated, you can tell by looking around there is more than just tender loving care that is needed for these buildings, so it was great news seeing that the bond had passed,” Ramiro Peña, Banquete ISD Junior High Principal, said.
Ramiro said the gym is in such bad shape they only use it for students to practice.
“We can’t use it as competition because the restrooms are in such bad shape, our P.E. kids don’t dress out because the dressing rooms are horrible, we really don't even want them to go in there,” Ramiro said.
Ramiro said middle school students are also having to use the elementary school cafeteria since they do not have one.
“I guess it has been about 14 years now that we just stopped using it, the a.c. is not working anymore, it is just constant repair so now our kids will just walk to the elementary and eat over there,” Ramiro said.
Adrian said students leaving the school can raise some concerns.
“Right now there are some safety concerns because of students having to go outside like to the band hall and to some of the classrooms as well,” Adrian said.
Adrian said the bond will also focus on upgrading the athletic facility, and reinvesting in all their systems such as A.C. units, shade structures, and the elementary playground.
“That was a big focus, is making sure this is what the community wanted,” Adrian said.
“It is really exciting, it is time for something like this to happen, Walker said.
Adrian said the board is working to hire an architect to begin the design phase of the construction projects.
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