Bears athletes Colton Croley, front, and Jacob McCarthy stand above the south end zone on Tuesday to watch workers complete the installation of artificial turf at Brownsboro High School’s Bear Stadium. Loyd Cook Photo In a school year that included his termination and the formation of an advisory committee whose job is to determine the most cost-effective way to build new schools and renovate others, Superintendent Elton Caldwell said spending $1.5 million on improvements in and around Bear Stadium was the highlight of his next-to-last year of his career.

“I think, overall, it’s been a good year as far as academics are concerned. Our concerns, financially, are still there going into a new budget year. But everything else went very well. I think the good in all this is the stadium improvements.”

Officials in April appoved installing artificial turf, adding a new concession stand, renovating dressing rooms, adding 1,360 seats on the home side of the stadium, building tennis courts, and installing a new scoreboard.

Caldwell Only the turf is expected to be ready for graduation ceremonies on June 4. The rest of the work is scheduled to be complete by August.

“I’m glad it’s being done,” Caldwell said. The community, as a whole, will be proud of it.”

The additional stadium seats will be added in front of each 10-yard line. New tennis courts will be built between Brownsboro Intermediate School and the baseball fields, and a concession stand and restrooms will be built on the west side of the stadium, on the north end of the practice tennis court. A sidewalk will also be built between the new concession stand and the stadium.

The district is paying for the work from its fund balance or maintenance budget or both.

After more than 20 years as superintendent, the 2010-2011 school year is Caldwell’s last. Trustees in January voted not to renew his contract, a move that ends Caldwell’s tenure in July 2011.

The superintendent had been working on two-year deals. His salary for 2010- 2011 is $115,000.

“I’ve got one more year,” Caldwell, 70, said. “When this tenure is over, people will hopefully say I’ve done a good job with their kids and the school district.”

He has said retirement is a possibility. If Caldwell retires before the end of his current two-year contract, the district would be forced to begin a premature search for a new superintendent. Board of Trustees President Bobby Teague has said if Caldwell leaves before the November tax election, it would spell trouble for district officials, calling it “a mess.”

Caldwell took over the district in 1989. During his tenure, three schools — Chandler Intermediate School, Brownsboro Intermediate and Brownsboro High School — have been built and numerous improvements made to Chandler Elementary School, Brownsboro Elementary School and Brownsboro Junior High School.

Members of the district’s Citizens Facilities Advisory Committee are weighing five proposals worth up to $32.5 million that would build new schools and renovate other campuses if the November tax election is successful.

Texas School Planning was hired last October to consult the district on its capital-improvements plan. The student population has increased by about 60 percent over the last 20 years — a rate of 3 percent annually.