The article below represents the last submission as a
result of the Board of Education’s original “needs identification” activity to
supply information to the public. There
may be other issues that arise that can be shared, but every article through
the end of this one indicates the immediate needs of our district. The content will focus on extracurricular
spaces and facilities.
As shared previously, our current gym space is scheduled
for a facelift this summer. This
activity will improve safety for spectators and playing surface for
competitors, it does not address practice time and space or the ability to
attract other people into the community for activities. The Board feels a second, competition-sized
gymnasium is warranted and needed with any updates/construction going
forward. The space could be used to
alleviate P.E. scheduling conflicts between elementary and high school,
practice scheduling conflicts, and gain the ability to host conference and district
events in our community. The use of our
current gym begins shortly before 6:00 am with junior high practice and often
ends after 8:00 pm with some youth activity.
This all assumes there is not a home activity that night. The ability to host events may not seem to be
important, but having outside people in our community and in our schools, is an
added revenue source for the local economy and the school economy that can certainly
assist us going forward. Additionally,
when weather requires recess to be held inside, there are no available
spaces. The construction of a second
gym/commons area could alleviate this pressure, as well.
The football “complex” is the other major extracurricular
facility that will require significant investment. The asphalt track that is used in the spring
is due to be completely redone, from the base to the topcoat, because the base
is crumbling because of age and natural heaving of the landscape. Below the text, you will find pictures of the track taken this spring before any patching. If the track were to be redone, it would make
sense to also re-crown the football field.
There should be a natural elevation in the middle of the field to help
with water management and maintaining an even playing surface, but ours as
eroded over the past four decades. This
may not be an absolute necessity, but would certainly make sense if the track
were to be torn up and the equipment on-site to address this, as well. The stadium bleachers at the field are a
safety concern. With the foundational concrete
for the bleachers and press box changing shape, the surface may not remain
level. Additionally, just as with the
bleachers in the gym, those at the field are safety hazards and would not meet
requirements they set for current construction.
Finally, in conjunction with the football field, the
current “field house” used by our players has served its purpose. With the amount of renovation work that would
need done to the building, it would make sense to have it a part of our
football facility, at the north field to house our student-athletes. This could also serve as a storage facility
for football and track equipment, as well as concessions at the field,
depending on the size of a proposed structure.
The current concessions’ building has several disjointed blocks and
cracks throughout which would warrant a safer building.
As a reminder, each of these articles, past and present,
can be read online at http://suptcorner.blogspot.com or by visiting our webpage
and clicking on “Superintendent’s Corner” in the top right corner. Please feel free to comment or leave feedback
on any of the submissions. Thank you for
your continued attention to the facility needs for the students in our
district.