Published: March 12, 2008 09:59 am            

RISD new gym project, new head coach starts this month

Rusk Independent School District’s new gymnasium is on its way to getting off the drawing boards.

Superintendent Jim Largent reported to RISD board members during Monday’s regular school board meeting that construction crews were ready to begin dirt work on the new facility’s site this week.

“We’re probably going to see significant construction out there in the next month,” Largent said on Tuesday.

Trustees unanimously approved the project’s guaranteed maximum price at $4,005,103 and the project’s total cost at $4,358,458 in January.

The project includes building a parking lot, practice gym and hospitality room.

The new gym will be located across Eagle’s Drive from the main student parking lot at the high school.

Project manager Stephen Berry, with Berry and Clay Construction, said the facility could be finished as soon as Nov. 1, 2009.

“We’re going to try for a November 1 finish date,” Berry told the school board in January, “but I can’t promise anything. I’ve spoken with the metal building suppliers and they’re going to work with us as much as they can, but we’ll just have to wait and see.”

In other business, trustees approved Largent’s recommendation to hire Ted Patton, 37, as the new Rusk head football coach and athletics director.

Patton will begin his tenure with RISD on March 25.

As head football coach of Elysian Fields, Patton took the Yellowjackets to the District 19-2A state finals in 2007 and the regional semifinals in 2006.

A total of 111 applied for the position following the reassignment of Wayne Mahaffey, who was at the helm of the Rusk program for nine years.

Other items RISD trustees approved on Monday include:

• the 2008-08 school calendar;

• an Optional Flexible Year Program; and

• Bonnie Woodard as alternate judge for the upcoming school board election.

The Rusk Independent School District meets at 6 p.m. every first Monday of the month, unless otherwise posted, at the Administration office, 203 E. Seventh St., Rusk. The public is welcome.

        

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