Rotary gets update on Legion Field and graduation
“Committed to Service”
In a Rotary Presentation on the Future of Marlin, Jesse Bustamante, Director of Human Resources & Special Projects at MISD, was first guest speaker of Rockney Terry’s Rotary Program on Wednesday, June 7, at noon, at The Chicken Place, “pleased to update on the progress of construction at Legion Field.”
Voters had approved both $32 million propositions of the November 2022 Bond Election, allowing the district to provide a new Marlin High School and Legion Field plus safety and security upgrades at Marlin Elementary and Middle Schools. The Bond Advisory Committee was formed with 25 community members, including the Mayor of Marlin, former school board members, and current district employees. Work began immediately and has consistently moved forward.
Bustamante expounded on the progress of restructuring Legion Field (football field and track) and the high school, “The timeline for Legion Field is as follows: In December 2022, work began to design and build Legion Field, secure underwriter tax school bonds, and place reimbursement resolution.
In January 2023, completed items were: 1) first Advisory Committee meeting, 2) reviewed facility assessment, 3) vendor negotiations, and 4) Bond sale.
February 2023 saw completion of these items: 1) city permits, 2) surveys, 3) ended negotiations with design/build vendor, 4) adjusted project delivery method, and 5) hired engineer.
March 2023 rolled in with heavy rains, still the following was accomplished: 1) hired architect, 2) started design phase, 3) vendor selected for soil, stabilization, and site clearing.
April 2023 saw additional rainfall, yet progress continued with: 1) vendor selection for track and turf, and 2) vendor selection for demolition of existing buildings at Legion Field.”
Legion Field’s construction kicked off on May 3, 2023. Symmetry Construction has been hard at work and has successfully removed all of the field topsoil from the site. Bustamante continued, “We are now ready to move forward with cutting the subgrade, and Symmetry Construction crews began cutting the field to subgrade elevation.”
Bids for the stadium electrical improvements project at Legion Field had not been received. Despite this setback, the district remained committed to completing this project in a timely manner; the bid proposal request was reposted on May 15th.
Legion Field Demolition Project bids were received and opened on May 26. The vendor was approved at the June 5 Board meeting.
Legion Field‘s estimated completion date with upgraded turf is Aug. 30, 2023. Note that the Itasca game will be played away from home.
A pre-construction meeting will be held June 19.
For Legion Field’s use, Symmetry will install 24/7 surveillance. The field and track are closed for construction and all gates will remain locked until further notice.
Moving forward with the construction of Legion Field, input on the field’s turf and track colors is requested. To this end, the district is scheduled to present the color options to the Bond Advisory Committee before the next meeting. Next meeting will be Monday, June 19, at 6:30 p.m.
The MISD leadership team is currently researching and visiting other schools to gain valuable insights and inspiration for the upcoming project.
“We’re committed to providing our students with a state-of-the-art educational environment that promotes academic excellence.” (Rotary Presentation “The Future of Marlin”)
Dr. Darryl Henson, second guest speaker, provided clarification on the decision to postpone graduation until June 22.
“Seniors, having been given outlines of requirements needed for graduation, were able to meet with counselors to make sure they were completing those requirements,” said Dr. Henson.
A primary difficulty was the district’s unmet 90 percent attendance requirement. This necessitated Marlin ISD’s rescheduling the graduation date to allow students to catch up.
As of this writing, “38 out of 38 seniors have met all requirements for graduation as outlined by the Texas Education Agency,” said Dr. Henson, adding, “it’s a testament of the resiliency that our students, teachers and families have demonstrated over the past two weeks. Our commitment to excellence and accountability will continue to be the gold standard in Marlin ISD.”
The Class of 2023 graduation date is June 22, 2023.
Holding to tradition at Rotary Club meetings, guest speakers were presented with the distinguished Rotary pen and pad.
Photograph L-R: MISD Director of Human Resources & Special Projects Jesse Bustamante, Rotarian Rockney Terry, Rotary Club President Letitia Estep, MISD Superintendent Dr. Darryl Henson