Here’s a list of improvements planned at 3 Carroll schools, Dragon Stadium

The Carroll Independent School District plans to use Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Zone Funds for materials and construction needed to upgrade Old Union Elementary, Dawson Middle and Eubanks Intermediate schools, as well as Dragon Stadium.

Lanny Mooney, director of facilities, said at the school board’s meeting April 13 that he worked with principals and the former athletics director to come up with a list of repairs and replacements.

Superintendent Jeremy Glenn said the work on the school gyms might seem like a lot, but more students will use those facilities after Durham Intermediate closes in 2027.

Dragon Stadium will also undergo changes to meet the American With Disabilities Act, according to previous reporting by the Star-Telegram. The TIF funds come from the city of Southlake, which pays the district $1.5 million annually from the funds.

TIF districts allow for the use of growth in property tax revenue for improvements or development within the district.

Glenn said he wants the public to know the funds are “specific in their use” and can only be used for these three schools and Dragon Stadium because they are in the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone.

Glenn said the district had only discovered that TIF funds could be used for capital improvement last year, and it used them for the first time to replace the roofs at Dawson, Eubanks and Old Union, which cost a little over $2 million.

“Anytime we can leverage these dollars towards any improvements on these campuses or Dragon Stadium, that frees up more money to give teachers or spend on curriculum in the classrooms,” Glenn said.

Cameron Bryan, board president, said he appreciates the partnership the district has with the city of Southlake and the ability to be able to use the funding on projects that won’t come out of the district’s general budget or require bond funding.

“We take pride in our facilities and making sure that we preserve them,” Bryan said. “We’re not building any new facilities in the near future, We want to preserve what we have and find every dine, every penny, to put towards those.”

The proposal includes these items for replacement or upgrade:

Dawson Middle School

• Replace existing cafeteria tables
• Resurface the track
• Rework the nurse’s office
• Replace (2) mini Splits (IDF) rooms which are small A/C units used to cool IT server rooms
• Replace scoreboards in main gym

Eubanks Intermediate School

• Repair/replace exterior lights
• Install new stage curtain
• Lobby repairs
• Pass Thru warmers (2), the warming cabinets used to keep food warm in school cafeterias
• Replace bleachers
• Paint (halls, cafe, gym, library)

Old Union Elementary

• New stage curtain
• Install new surge protector
• New freezer door
• New chairs (throughout the school)
• Convert computer lab to classroom
• Playground safety fence

Dragon Stadium

• Replace Tricaste, a device used to play video and audio on the large screen at Dragon Stadium.
• New game day lighting
• Elevator modernization
• Paint south side of stadium
• Sealcoat north side of building
• Stripe north parking lot
• Replace exhaust fans in home side restrooms
• Replace heaters in home side restrooms
• New resinous floor covering in home side restrooms

According to a spokesperson for the district the stadium’s Tricaste is over 20 years old and broke down a few months ago.