Board hears facilities update on bond projects and approves on‑demand contractors; security system upgrades highlighted

Patrick Martinez, the district’s executive director of facilities, gave the board a broad update on project workloads, funding sources and timelines Monday night, telling trustees facilities currently manages dozens of active projects funded through bonds, capital outlay, SB9 and state match.

Martinez highlighted several projects: a RioTech photovoltaic lab currently in design with a $550,000 budget and construction expected in 2027; a major new Independence High School campus (GMP $33,800,000) under construction and scheduled to open in August 2027; a Cleveland High School classroom addition and standalone security pavilion budgeted at $8,000,000 (design completion August 2026, construction to follow); and a full systems upgrade at Rio Rancho High School covering HVAC, roof replacement, fire alarm and a new fine‑arts production space.

Martinez said Trimble Unity Construct (formerly e‑Builder) is now used to track project health, budget reports and document workflow and that facilities is preparing executive‑level dashboards to monitor progress across 23 active bond projects and 12 active capital‑outlay projects.

Board members asked about construction sequencing and swing space at the high school as projects proceed; Martinez said limited swing space is a key constraint and staff are studying classroom additions to create needed capacity.

On procurement, director of purchasing Chris Tweed presented ITB 2026‑014‑FAC, an on‑demand contractor pool for concrete and CMU block walls. The evaluation committee recommended awarding multiple firms so the district has capacity for simultaneous or emergency needs. Vice President Mueller moved the recommendation; the board voted to award the contract to Perimeter Iron Works; Fence and Block LLC; Weiser Electric LLC; LLR Construction LLC; Nova Construction LLC; and Construction Dummies.

Security improvements were a frequent topic. Facilities and security staff described district standards for forced entry, standardized perimeter fencing and interior access control, and explained use of an Evolv weapons‑detection system at selected campuses. Security staff said the district combines physical measures (access control, fencing, cameras and Evolve) with staffing — armed and unarmed guards and surveillance monitoring — to detect and deter incidents before they escalate.

Trustees thanked staff for the detailed report; consent and procurement items associated with facilities moved forward in the meeting.