Water-supply woes plague project
GRANGER — Despite months of setbacks over waterline woes and other delays, a new secondary school and athletic facility are 99% complete, Granger Independent School District trustees learned this week.
Also during the Nov. 12 meeting, District Chief of Academics Amber Thorsen received approval to apply for an educational grant.
Meanwhile, supplying water to Granger Secondary School is still the chief impediment to opening, but a third bore is scheduled for the first two weeks of December, said Mayor Bruce Waggoner.
If all goes according to plan, pupils could be in the new building after Christmas to begin the second semester of the school year, said Superintendent Stephen Brosch.
Officials had hoped to open the school’s doors in August, but pitfalls with a comprehensive waterline project and digging approvals under some railroad tracks added to several challenges.
During the Nov. 12 session, Waggoner provided trustees with an update on the waterline project.
“I know you all want to see this done and so do we (in the city),” Waggoner said. Work begins this week to shore up the section where a 20-foot bore will be drilled; the previous was 8 feet under the railroad tracks that divide the city.
Once the waterline is connected, the city will install a new lift station to link the pipes to the new school and athletic facility, Waggoner said.
A ribbon cutting is 11 a.m. Nov. 20 to celebrate the completion of the Texas Department of Transportation’s turn lane into the new Granger secondary school on FM 971. The project was funded by the voter-approved 2023 WilCo Road Bond.
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The city also will pay for the school’s wastewater lines to be regularly pumped so classes can be held in the new building without waiting any longer.
The fire-pump safety test for the new secondary school has been rescheduled twice in the last two months and is set for Dec. 19. If the school fails, it will be January before another test can be rescheduled.
If the third waterline bore attempt is unsuccessful, it could be another three to four months before another attempt can be rescheduled.
In other business, as part of Granger ISD’s targeted improvement plans, Thorsen will apply for the Texas Education Agency’s Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities grant promoting enhanced learning strategies for both teachers and students.
The grant covers strategic planning, education and training resources and more support time.
“This is something we’re very excited about. It gives us an opportunity at high-quality instructional materials in our teachers’ and students’ hands,” said Brosch.
Board president Daryl Stefek said many students appear to be a grade behind in their learning.
“Applying for the LASO grant is going to get us some materials that are going to drastically help,” Brosch said.
Granger Elementary School Principal Erin Lawrence agreed.
“Getting high quality instructional materials will have the depth and complexity we need to fill these gaps, to get our students to where they need to be,” Lawrence said.
The next school board meeting is 5:30 p.m. Dec. 10 in the board room at 300 N. Colorado St.
