Winona ISD votes on elementary, middle school campus upgrades

WINONA, Texas (KLTV) - In hopes to meet new needs and make changes to campuses, Winona ISD held its $23.5 million school bond election last week.

It was presented to voters as three separate propositions, and only one passed, proposition A, which totaled at $13.4 million.

Renovations will soon be made to the elementary classrooms and the elementary and middle school cafeterias. The kitchen will also expand and safety upgrades will be made to the playground.

The school is seeing growth in the student population and they say it’s time for their dated facilities to change.

Winona ISD superintendent Damenion Miller says, “The community saw the tremendous need for upgrades in a facility that was built in 1981. The same facility many of our community members went to school in many many years ago and their children, or some even grandchildren, are in the same hallways that they were in.”

Coordinator of after school programs, Ronald Marsh Jr., can agree. He attended the school from elementary to high school and graduated in 2013.

He says, “I think it’s kind of cool going to school here and then graduating with a class of 53 students and moving on and going to the military for six years and coming back. All these new houses that are being built. All the new families that are coming into Winona. There’s definitely a need for bigger space.”

Marsh Jr. adds, “My son’s going to school here now. It’s cool to see him walk the same hallways, but I’m 27 now, so it’s been 20 years since I’ve been in the same hallways.”

Proposition B would have renovated Wildcat Stadium with home and visitor bleacher additions, a prefabricated press box, add LED lighting, a synthetic field turf system, a new track, and concessions with restrooms. It was totaled at $6.5 million.

Proposition C would have built a new Game Day Field House for Wildcat Stadium. It would have had home and visitor locker rooms, showers, a training room, officials locker room, and a coaching office. It was totaled at $3.6 million.

Proposition B and C failed at this time.

“But that is part of the process and we are excited and we will explore other options for those areas because our children deserve those upgrades too.” says Miller.

Miller also says the next step is the planning phase. Meetings will soon be held to work out the design and implementation of the project.

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