JACKSONVILLE — By Raymond Billy

rbilly@jacksonvilleprogress.com

During tonight’s meeting of the Jacksonville Independent School District Board of Trustees, officials will discuss the status of proposed renovation projects and the dynamics that will determine whether those initiatives take place.

The centerpiece of the discussion will be Nichols Intermediate School. Its projected student population increase of 141 by the 2012-2013 academic year prompted JISD to consider adding to the school’s north wing.

JISD has hired local company JML Architects to investigate the cost of expanding the school. Several trustees have voiced reluctance to add portable buildings to the Nichols campus as an alternative to expansion.

The debate surrounding portable buildings versus expansion may turn out to be a moot point. With the announcements this month that two of Jacksonville’s largest employers — Alliance Data Systems and Astro Air Inc. — are leaving the city, many workers with children attending JISD schools may leave the city for job opportunities elsewhere, uprooting their families in the process. If that occurs, Nichols’ growth could be far below the projections offered by the school’s principal, Tammy Jones, at last December’s school board meeting.

JISD Superintendent Stuart Bird said in January the district would probably decide in April if it would pursue the expansion project. Trustee Pat McCown said, taking recent job losses into account, JISD may wish to extend its window for making that decision.

“This is obviously something the board will have to take into consideration as we decide whether to make additions to Nichols,” McCown said. “Nichols is situated to be able to handle the projected influx of new students next year, so there’s no rush on this.”

Nichols’ enrollment is expected to grow by 39 students, based on current population statistics.

Trustees on Monday will also hear updates on possible renovations to Jacksonville Middle School and Jacksonville High School. Lance Bishop of TAC Energy Solutions will brief the board on the possible cost of replacing JMS’s air conditioning system. Doug Shear of Armko Industries Inc. will discuss the kinds of materials the board may wish to utilize in the replacement of the school’s roofing.

Proposed changes to Building 200 of Jacksonville High School will be reviewed as well. JISD officials say the building — which is adjacent to the JHS band hall — also needs improvements to its air conditioning and heating system. They also say rooms in the building may be reconfigured for greater efficiency. In a related action item, the school board will consider using competitive sealed bids as its procurement method for a contractor for the Building 200 project, were JISD to go forward with the endeavor.

In other action items, the board will consider:

• a staff development waiver request for the 2008-2009 school year for submission to the Texas Education Agency;

• the proposed 2008-2009 JISD school calendar;

• an order to call a JISD Trustee election for May 10 and a joint election agreement with the city of Jacksonville;

• program changes resulting in a reduction in force, which would necessitate the non-renewal of term contract employees;

• items to be sold in the March 1 JISD auction; and

• the consent agenda.

The JISD Board of Trustees regularly meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the JISD Administration Building, 1547 Pine St.