Cameron ISD calls for bond to renovate Old Yoe, ag facilities
The Cameron ISD Board of Trustees voted to name the press box at Yoe Field for longtime Yoe announcer Bertie Shuemate and called for a bond election in November during a meeting Aug. 9.
The press box will be named the Bertie Shuemate Press Box at Yoe Field.
“I think this is a great move for 40 years of service to the district,” Board President Jason Dohnalik said. “He always seems to be there. He is just a true Yoemen and we appreciate all he has done.”
The district plans to honor Shuemate and have him in attendance at the naming during an early football game in the next few weeks.
They also voted to call for a bond election in November for the purpose of renovating the original Yoe High building for use for Career and Technology Education and update the districts agricultural science facilities.
The board has been discussing renovations to Old Yoe for several months, creating a committee to look into future uses for the 100-year-old facility.
If the bond passes it will not raise taxes.
“We have had a lot of discussion about this,” Superintendent Kevin Sprinkles said. “In the spring of 2020 we had them come out and do a facilities assessment and one of the big things in that was if the Yoe High building was viable for anything. The answer was yes it was. Over the next several months we began to have discussions about what could be done to save Old Yoe.”
It was asked what the district could do to have something for our students to use and also to save such a historical building in the community.
“Once we had a agreement that it would be used for a Career and Technology Education Center for our students, we met with the architect and several community members to determine what would go in there.”
It was determined that the building could house health science, criminal justice, education, computer science and business and finance, along with dual credit courses and administration.
The board got a first glance at what a renovated Yoe High building would look like during a meeting on May 10.
The board and administration heard from Huckabee Architecture about plans for renovating the old Yoe High building to house CTE courses and administration.
Representatives from Huckabee were on hand with a slideshow displaying renovations and what each floor could be used for.
They said that the participation from the community on this project was amazing and this is the culmination of the results of that input.
During this time discussions were also ongoing about the agricultural sciences program
“We have been doing a great job of educating those kids,” Sprinkles said. “From a space perspective we have the space, but there are several things that can be done in those facilities – insulation and rolling doors and things like that. The other thing is our veterinary tech program. We want those kids to be able to have a large animal in there and be able to have vaccination clinics and things like that.”
The district has conceptual drawings of all projects and they have been presenting information sessions in the community to see if their ideas were good.
“We had the opportunity to tour Old Yoe and look at those drawings and look at the needs of our students,” he said. “We looked at the investment of Carrie Yoe 100 years ago and how if she doesn’t do that things are completely different.”
He said the impact of that investment is huge and that the impact the students that have gone through those halls has had on the state and nation.
“This is a way to save that historical structure that is the namesake of all that we know and create a 21st Century learning place for all of our students,” Sprinkles said. “This will provide an opportunity for all of our students to have a step up when they graduate.”
Sprinkles said the bond will not increase school district taxes.
The total of the projects are $12.8 million for Old Yoe and $1.5 million for the ag renovations. Those prices do not include work to the district’s ag barn, which would be $115,000.
The board called the bond election for $14.5 million to fund the projects. The bond will be on the November ballot.
“I am passionate about career education for our students and they need it,” he said. “They need that hands on knowledge where they can say that they have done it, not just read about it in a book.”
Dohnalik thanked the members of the committee in attendance for their time and diligence.
“This isn’t something that was thought up over night,” Dohnalik said. “It has been discussed for over a year. I think that building can be used by all of our kids, not just a select group. This will also touch other areas. I am proud that we have gone through this process and I am excited for what that building can be. The bottom line is this isn’t going to cost any taxes in our community. What better way to continue the tradition that is long here? This investment will move us forward another 100 years.”
If the bond passes work should be complete on the renovations by the fall semester of 2024.