PG school district opens bids on land near lake

Pleasant Grove Independent School District held a special meeting Friday to open bids for the 16.9-acre tract the district owns near Texas A&M University-Texarkana, but no bids were submitted for the property.

Superintendent Jason Smith said the board took no action, since there were no inquiries.

“We will continue to having a sign out there and continue to get interest through that,” he said.

The Bringle Lake property was the proposed site for a new elementary school, which failed to get voter support in 2014 and 2015 bond elections. It is part of a 25-acre tract the district purchased from Aven Williamson in 2007 for $1 million. PGISD later sold 8 acres back to Williamson’s family for $600,000.

The board received a bid on the property in 2016 from Columbia Properties but rejected it because it was too low. The land, located on University Drive, is valued at $1.5 million.

“Really what we have to do is determine as a district how soon are we seriously looking at opening up a new school or continue with the facilities we have,” Smith said. “That’s part of what the Facility Committee will determine.”

The group, a 26-member panel of educators, parents and community members, met Thursday night and heard a presentation on exactly what needs to be done to the district’s buildings.

Ross Davis of Longview-based Thacker Davis Architects, presented a slide show and recommended improvements, including heating and air system replacement, flooring, roofing and restroom installations. The committee will continue to meet and hear presentations on several topics; 21st century learning, technology/library audits, campus renovations with cost analysis and prioritizing facility needs. Smith said the committee will decide the next step the district will take toward renovations or new construction.

“If they make a recommendation to the board to seek out a new school, I think that’s going to put the onus on us as a school district to locate that land,” Smith said. “Right now, I think we just continue to market it, have the sign out and try to see if we can get some people interested in it.”

The next facilities committee meeting will be held Nov. 2.