"Fifteen million dollars is a big amount of money, but we're putting the money in where it is truly needed and we're really working hard to keep those campuses running," Bush said at the meeting.

The stadium first opened in August of 2008 as part of a $40 million athletics complex to relieve pressure off Moorhead Stadium in Conroe, which used to host Thursday, Friday and Saturday games for the district's five high schools. The complex, which includes a natatorium, was constructed in Shenandoah with 2004 bond money.

The district is poised to sell approximately $146 million in bonds, about $25 million of which are refunded bonds, in February.

Aside from infrastructure, about $77 million of the first bond sale is expected to fund construction of the second Oak Ridge High School off Riley Fuzzel Road, across from a planned segment of the Grand Parkway. The high school is by far the largest and most expensive line item in the bond proposal, with total building costs hovering around $142 million. The high school is expected to open by the fall of 2018.

Other projects to be funded by the first bond sale are the construction of an elementary school off Riley Fuzzel Road, land purchases, safety and security, and technology and infrastructure upgrades at some campuses across the district.

The school district is expected to sell a series of bonds each January until 2019, when all $487 million worth of bonds are expected to be sold, according to the district's final recommendation that was published last year.

Woodforest Bank Stadium improvements by the numbers:

$15.78 million: The total amount alloted for life cycle improvements across 12 campuses and Woodforest Bank Stadium in 2016.

$838,515: The total improvement costs slated for the stadium in 2016.

$486,200: Cost of a new synthetic turf system for the field.

$117,342: Cost of the stadium's new speaker system with structural support and columns.

 

chron.com

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