SDI Engineering briefed the Edinburg CISD Facilities Committee on July 24 on a planned drainage-improvement project at Edinburg North High School and said the district expects to seek board approval of related interlocal agreements and move to advertise and solicit bids beginning July 30.
The update matters because the work addresses chronic drainage problems at a high school campus used for athletics and band activities; the plan requires coordination among multiple public entities and could affect the marching/football season if heavy excavation and hauling occur during the school year.
Dala (Dalia) Guzman (SDI) told the committee the district executed an access easement on June 6 with Kubota Motors for staging and access on Monte Cristo and is pursuing acquisition of property owned by Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 behind Truman Elementary, with closing documents targeted for August 6. Guzman said the district plans to bring an interlocal agreement for board approval that will include Hidalgo County Precinct 4, Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 and Edinburg CISD; Guzman said the drainage district’s obligations include excavation shown on plans, ECISD’s obligation is to prepare plans and specifications, and the county’s obligation is hauling excavated material.
SDI provided a preliminary estimated project cost of $3,287,000. Guzman said the City of Edinburg is offering an in‑kind value of approximately $237,848 by accepting material for disposal without charging the district’s disposal fees; Guzman reported the drainage district and Precinct 4 were expected to cover the most expensive partner share, about $1,300,000, leaving roughly $1,655,000 as the district’s preliminary share (presented as approximately 50%).
SDI recommended advertising the project on July 30, holding a pre-bid meeting August 11, opening bids about August 20, presenting to the board in early September with contract execution targeted by December 30. Guzman warned that excavation cannot begin until late fall (November) to avoid conflicts with marching-band season and football activity; committee members asked for a contingency plan for high-rainfall periods until the drainage work is finished.
Board members asked about coordination of elevations and grading with the drainage district; SDI said elevations and fine grading are shown in the plans and that the selected contractor will perform final fine grading per the contract. The committee recommended taking the interlocal agreement to the board for full approval at the next board meeting.
SDI and district staff also thanked Kubota Motors and local partners for allowing access across private property to stage equipment. No final construction contract was awarded at the facilities meeting; staff requested board approval of the interlocal so the project can proceed to advertising and bidding.