Audio transcript
Mark Haslett: This morning we're visiting with Commerce Independent School District Superintendent of Schools Charlie Alderman. Charlie has been a regular guest in here many times, he hasn't been around for quite a while though. So welcome back, Charlie.
Charlie Alderman: Thank you very much, happy to be here.
Haslett: So the main news from Commerce ISD here in fall of 2023 is construction and more construction. There are so many major projects going on. And folks are about to see a return on investment from some of these bond initiatives. So let's talk about what's going on. And let's begin with all the building that's going on at Commerce High School.
Alderman: Okay. This community passed a bond and we've been working really hard for the last year and a half so far to do everything that the community asked us to do. So there's several projects, some have been completed, some are still ongoing, and some still have a good ways to go.
But first of all, the completed projects. They completed the multipurpose building, that's actually already being used by both band, football, cross country. There was one point in there where I saw a group of kids practicing baseball and another group of kids practicing football, cross country running around the outside. So it was it was being really heavily used. It's also been used by the community, a lot of our youth football games have been going on out there. So we're really happy to be able to support the community that supported us in passing this bond.
We've also completed the baseball and softball, reconstruction. Let's see, baseball and softball got new turf, some new facilities around there, there is a new concession stand that will be going in there that's not in there yet. We also completed the new band marching grid. We also have the another concession stand that's going to be built out there at the football field. So we're working on getting that started. Our new ag and CTE facility actually has a move-in date of December the fourth. So that's an ag area that will have some housing for animals. But it also has a huge welding and construction trades area that that we can work out of. And there's also two classrooms in there. So it'll give our ag and CTE teachers out there a true sense of their own program, of their own building. And we're really happy to be able to start that next semester.
And then we have a new middle school. So the new middle school is the one that obviously is going to take the longest. We are still trying to move in by the second week of August, and start school in that new building. They do have all the foundation poured, they have the metal structure up for the athletic area, the gymnasium, the fine arts area, and the admin area. So they're fixing to move over to the cafeteria area and into the classroom wing area. A lot of the flat works have already been poured in there, most of the utilities already hooked up to that area. So it's been an ongoing process. But to have the entire foundation gets us in a place where hopefully weather's not going to be a negative impact on us.
Due to the weather this past spring. At one point we were about a month and a half behind. We believe we've caught up some in that area, we actually have a meeting tomorrow to go over any exactly where we are at now. And then also any ways that we can to make sure to do everything we can to get in by the second week of August. If that were not to happen, we also have a second plan, backup plan to move in during the fall break or October break. That will give us about eight to nine weeks of school and then be able to move in. One of the things that does make this easier is that a lot of the old furniture at the current middle school will not be moving over. Some of that furniture has literally been there since the building's been there. So it's more than 50 years old. So we'll be able to put the new furniture in, even while still having classes in the old school. So we won't have to move all that over at one time. So that gives us the ability to move during the school year.
Haslett: Well, the backup plan is definitely good to have because with building projects, anyone who's been through one, whether it's residential or institutional, knows that they are not predictable things. And so, we are targeting the beginning of the semester in the fall of next year.
Alderman: Yes sir, that’s our hope, that’s our plan.
Haslett: Okay. Charlie, I don't want to get off in the weeds, but an interesting thing there – for those of us of a certain age, the idea of a fall break is a new one. Because we're used to, within that fall semester of school, you just -- after Labor Day is done, you just got to plow on through to Thanksgiving. But a difference that we have now in our public schools is that the semesters are starting earlier than they used to. And so, Commerce ISD, the students take a fall break. So for those who aren't aware of this new convention, could you describe it?
Alderman: Well, first of all, the state passed a law a few years ago, that allows us to use a vehicle called a district of innovation to make some changes to our calendar. And using the district of innovation, it gives us an opportunity to move our things around to try and increase our academic progress. So the thought behind a fall break is a research-based thought, that having kids go about nine weeks, and then having a break for both the students and the teachers to step away and recharge and then come back and hit it heavy again, earlier, hopefully allows us to increase our academics on the campus. So we go almost exactly nine weeks. And then we have a break. And then we go almost exactly nine weeks again, and then have Christmas break. And it actually finishes out the year. That way, we go about nine more weeks, have spring break, and the nine more weeks to finish at the end. There's a little bit of variability in there. But most of it follows along that pattern. And it's to give those kids and teachers a break so that they can come back recharged.
Haslett: And what's been your experience with it so far?
Alderman: Especially the first year, I think the first year we did it, you could really notice the difference in the kids. They came back -- all the little issues that had been going on had gone away, our teachers came back recharged. The first year we saw a really positive impact on what was going on in the classroom. We've maintained that impact, you just don't see the difference since we've been doing it for the last seven years.
Haslett: Well, that makes sense. And as you pointed out, there's kind of a symmetry in the academic year when you do it that way. And it certainly seems like a good idea to me. I was visiting with you before we started recording, off microphone, saying, boy, early or mid-August is awfully -- it's asking a lot here in Texas when August is a challenge even in the best of times. That makes a lot of sense. So that's the backup plan. If for some reason the building project gets delayed, and as you mentioned, because of things beyond control, the builders, all of the rains that we had, during the part of the summer, when that whole sort of rainy stretch, the project had been behind as much as a month and a half, but presumably doing better now. And you're actually scheduled to get a new update this week. And it's just one of those things where you have to kind of hit the reset button and just sort of make a new calendar every time you all get together and visit, I suppose.
Aldreman: Yes, we're hoping everything keeps improving. And we've had really good weather as far as building lately. Now I'm sure everybody else wants some rain, but it's been good for us. So let's increase this a little bit. But at the same time, you know, if we ended up having a really rainy season later on, that could also impact us. So it's going to be a constant target.
Haslett: Sure. And the winter has been forecast to be maybe a wet one, and so who knows hopefully it all goes well. We're visiting with Charlie Alderman. He's the superintendent of schools for the Commerce ISD and Charlie, I want to backtrack a little bit to some of the things about the various projects going on at the high school. We talked about the new ag and career tech education building that's going in on the south side of, or just south of the main building there on the Commerce High School campus, got new concession stands going in for football, as well as over at the new baseball and softball complex, which is also on the south side of the campus over there, all that new stuff that those athletes are enjoying. And you mentioned a new marching grid for the band. So is that on a tarmac? Or what's the surface there?
Alderman: It's actually a parking lot. So for years, our band would practice on a parking lot. However, it was a little bit unsafe in that, that's the same park parking lot that our teachers usually parked on. So this gives us more parking out there for when we have baseball, softball, basketball, home football games, but at the same time, it's an area that we can completely block off and makes it much more safe for our band students. So gave them a place to take ownership of and they have used it throughout the year, as well as the multipurpose building. There's been some times where it's been really hot and they've gone in there and marched.
Haslett: Well, that's great news and as somebody who myself marched on high school parking lot back in the day, having less gravel and all the type of stuff that vehicles will drag in as they park there is definitely better for safety and for comfort. And so that's good news. Now the multipurpose facility, obviously folks who haven't had a chance to drive by, don't know what that all involves, there's a very big pavilion. So if you could describe it for the benefit of folks who haven't been able to take a look at this new multipurpose facility.
Alderman: Well, it's basically a fully covered, 100-yard football field. But it also has netting that is allowed to drop down, that divides it up into three different sections, as well as batting cages for softball and baseball can drop down. It also has all the markings in the field for band, baseball, softball, so multiple groups can go out there and use it and not have to worry about weather, not have to worry about even lightning because it's grounded. So it's a very safe place. At the same time, in the early part of August when band and football were both practicing, we got a temperature gun and we shot the turf football field that we have out there. It was 140 degrees. We shot that turf football field that's under the pavilion and it was at 99. So it made a 41-degree difference for those kids out there practicing. So not only is it safer, but it's also allowing those kids to get better practices, better reps, and hopefully lead to a better performance.
Haslett: It sounds wonderful. And almost it's almost the kind of thing that makes you wonder why didn't somebody think of this earlier, but I presume that you had noticed that maybe a handful of other schools across the region had built something similar?
