Conroe ISD is wrapping up a $16.5 million project to expand its transportation facility on Gladstell Street in Conroe and add a new facility to its Caney Creek High School location off FM 1485.
Easy Foster, director of planning and construction for the district, said the two locations will provide more room for additional buses and staff.
“Both facilities are on schedule and we are expected to use it for our fleet starting in December,” Foster said during a recent Conroe ISD board meeting.
Funding for the facilities came through the district’s $653 million bond referendum in 2019 as well as the district’s general fund.
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Chris McCord, assistant superintendent of operations for the district, said the Gladstell site includes a new facility and an existing building. The new building, he said, consolidates the operation staff of the department. The existing building has been remodeled to extend the mechanic shop.
For the FM 1485 facility, McCord said the new building puts the operational staff in a permanent building. The staff, he said, has operated out of portable building for many years.
The site adds 100 parking spaces for buses, he said.
“That will allow buses to be parked on Conroe ISD property each night,” McCord said.
Both facilities are critical for the district’s rapid growth.
“We required both facilities to accommodate the increasing number of employees, buses, and services that we offer due to growth,” McCord said. “The additional space will provide room for transportation personnel and parking for buses.”
While the district has continued to face a shortage of drivers, McCord said a recent job fair helped the district fill eight driver positions.
“In addition, we have identified several potential drivers who are likely to come on board soon, helping us fill the 26 remaining open positions,” McCord said.
In August, the board agreed to place a $1.9 billion bond on the November ballot. Proposition A, the largest of the four, earmarks $22 million for transportation needs, including the purchase of new buses in the future.
Early voting begins Oct. 23. Election day is Nov. 7.
