Special to the Democrat

Members of the Weatherford ISD Board of Trustees unanimously approved a $14.5 million construction project Thursday that is expected to turn the current Roo Stadium into a practically brand new facility by the beginning of the 2009 football season.

Joe Schultz, WISD Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations, presented five options for the Board to consider prior to its initial vote. After a brief executive session, the Board accepted the administration’s recommendation to go with Option No. 3 which included a minor adjustment to reduce the size of the press box to 4,400 square feet.

“The new Roo Stadium will be practically new from the ground up,” WISD Superintendent Dr. Deborah Cron said. “It is designed to accommodate 8,000 fans [5,000 on the home side; and 3,000 on the visitors’ side] and will add nearly twice as many parking spaces.”

Dr. Cron also said the district will be able to fund the renovation costs without having to call a bond election.

“I applaud the board for its conservative approach,” she added, “and for always keeping the taxpayers in mind when making important financial decisions.”

Schultz said funding for the stadium project will come from a variety of sources such as the district’s fund balance, selling of district property, and donations.

“We plan on gathering geotechnical data as early as Monday,” he added.

Although the timeline calls for the entire project to be completed by the beginning of the 2009 football season, Schultz said a new artificial turf field and the additional parking spaces will be implemented by Fall 2008.

At the board’s request, Schultz also provided an estimate for adding lights to the high school tennis courts, which would cost $144,000.

In other action, WISD Director of Community Services Dr. Chip Evans gave a brief presentation on “Millenials: 21st Century Skills for a New Generation,” which included information regarding proposed on-line courses.

“This program would expand academic opportunities for WISD students as well as those in both traditional and non-traditional settings,” Dr. Evans said. “It would also allow for the expansion of curricular offerings such as Latin or Chinese.”

Dr. Evans said the concept of “Virtual Classrooms” will not take the place of a traditional school environment but will overlay some of the technical aspects that cannot be found in a regular classroom.

“A pilot will be conducted this spring witih one or two fee-based courses through the Community Education Department,” he added.

Linda Crownover, WISD Director of Curriculum and Instruction, gave a report on the 2008-09 District Awards for Teacher Excellence (DATE) Grant from the Texas Education Agency.

The purpose of the DATE program is to provide a teacher incentive awards program that supports the establishment of district-wide goals and the implementation of a financial award system for teachers who improve student achievement.

Crownover said members of the WISD technical assistance team decided to decline the DATE criteria set forth by the TEA and will come up with a better rewards solution that will also include other members within the district.

WISD Director of Student Services Dr. Nita Ellis reviewed four 2008-09 school year calendar proposals that had been developed by the district’s calendar committee.

Dr. Ellis said area residents may vote on their favorite option by visiting the district’s website and clicking on the 2008-09 School Calendar Options and Survey link on the main page before the Dec. 31 deadline.

Board members tabled a proposed oil, gas, and mineral lease with Devon Energy until a more reasonable agreement can be reached based on current lease fees and royalties in the area.

The next regular scheduled Board meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 17, 2008 in the WISD Board Room located inside the District Services Building.