Pearland ISD is considering pursuing a $3.5 million buyout from its agreement with the city of Pearland to share maintenance costs for the city's natatorium and recreation center.
Kirk Sides / Staff Photographer

Houston Chronicle
Pooja Bhakta, Staff writer
April 25, 2023
Updated: April 25, 2023 5:11 p.m.

Pearland ISD's leaders say they will seek a buyout from a longtime agreement between the district and city of Pearland to share the rising maintenance costs for the city's recreation center and natatorium.

The agreement requires the district to pay $3.5 million for scheduled repairs that would cost $7 million. The district is proposing a buyout for the same cost as its share of those repairs.

In 2007, the district and the city created a 25-year interlocal agreement for construction and use of the $10.9 million, 107,000-square-foot facility, which is at 4141 Bailey Road. The district, which uses the natatorium portion of the facility for its water sports programs, is responsible to pay half of all maintenance costs over $15,000.

The proposed buyout would end the interlocal agreement and move the district to a $122,000 annual lease for three years, which the district could renew. 

Mayor Kevin Cole said the city is ready to work with the district on a buyout.  

"In principle, we've got an agreement," he said. "We're just waiting on the fine print to finalize everything."

The school board is poised to vote on authorizing the buyout at its May 16 meeting after it receives details of the proposed new lease.

"The original agreement, in my opinion, is terrible," board president Sean Murphy said at an April 11 trustee meeting. "I want to support some type of buyout of this agreement because it actually gets us out of that written agreement, which we are responsible for 50 percent of the maintenance cost that comes in.

"It is unclear from a legal standpoint on what the district is responsible for and who is in charge of the oversight of maintenance on both sides," Murphy said of the current agreement.

Superintendent Larry Berger told trustees that he spoke with Pearland's interim city manager, Trent Epperson, about the matter and thinks the best option is a buyout. 

Pearland ISD will negotiate with the city to maintain all usage privileges the district has in the current agreement, Berger said.

Another option mentioned by Berger would be for the district to pay an annual fee of $450,000 over the next 10 years, which is the term of the current interlocal agreement with an annual increase of 3 percent.

The natatorium and recreation center also includes gyms, a dance studio, weight room and an indoor track.

pooja.bhakta@chron.com