Starkville High School Athletics Director Stan Miller put forth his best effort at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, but his proposal for program improvements failed to budge board members.
Miller asked for more than $1 million to replace the football field’s grass with artificial turf, resurface the track and expand the tennis courts, noting the upgrades would save money in maintenance and repairs, as well as generate revenue through tournament opportunities.
The biggest sticking point was time. Miller estimated six to eight weeks for the synthetic playing surface to be installed at Yellow Jacket Stadium. The team will play their first home game against Noxubee County High School Aug. 17.
The project would cost around $560,000, but Miller said it would alleviate problems with the sprinkler and irrigation systems, which are costing thousands of dollars in field maintenance and repair each season.
Because the track circles the field and involves curbing, the resurfacing and turf replacement should be done concurrently, Miller said.
The track was built in 2000, but the athletics department ran out of money, so instead of adding an all-weather track surface, they installed unsealed asphalt. Over the years, the surface has cracked, making a dangerous situation for runners, said Miller.
“If you want shin splints, go run on our track,” he cautioned. “No one will come run on our track.”
Resurfacing the track would cost an additional $350,000, according to Miller.
The final project would expand the tennis courts from six to 12, making tournament play possible and allowing the district to begin a middle school tennis program. Grants could be obtained through the United States Tennis Association for the $390,000 project, Miller said.
But with the district in the midst of preparing its Fiscal Year 2012-2013 budget, Interim Superintendent Dr. Beth Sewell cautioned against major expenditures. The board will meet next month to iron out the details of the budget, which they hope to pass the last week of June.
That would be too late for the athletics department to solicit bids and have the work done before the first football game.
“We see good things in our athletics programs, but it seems to me we still have a cash flow problem,” Board President Dr. Keith Coble said. “If we’ve got to come up with $1 million up-front, that’s hard.”
Other district facilities are in dire need of repair as well, board members said. Millsaps Career and Technology Center needs a new roof, and renovations are needed at the “White House,” where Starkville High’s arts program resides.
Tuesday night’s issues illustrate the need for a longterm strategic plan, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Walter Gonsoulin said, and the football field’s turf problems are a constant concern.
But the thought of repairing the field again didn’t appeal to board members either.
“This is not the first time this has come up,” Board Vice-President Eddie Myles said. “I hate to throw good money away to take care of the field when we know we will have to do it again next year.”
The synthetic field should last 10 to 14 years and would be relatively cheap to replace, Miller said. An added benefit is that it dries quickly, keeping inclement weather from being a hindrance to football or soccer games.
With competing needs across the district though, there’s only so much money to go around.
“We’ve got to move on,” Coble said. “The numbers from the state (funds) are not beautiful. They never are.”
Gov. Phil Bryant signed the state education bill Friday, allocating school funding at the same levels as last year, but much of that money will go to increased retirement costs for districts across the state.
Gonsoulin said when he took the assistant superintendent’s position in 2007, so many repairs were needed that he questioned how the district got into such shape. The key to fiscal responsibility lies in creating a 10 to 15-year strategic plan and outlining specific goals, he suggested.
“It’s not to hold your feet to the fire, but at least start planning,” he urged the board. “It’s cheaper to maintain than to repair.”
Gonsoulin is resigning June 30 to take a position as superintendent of the Fairfield City Schools in Fairfield, Ala.
Coble called the budget discussion “sobering,” at the end of the meeting.
“We’d like to wave our hands and make all this happen, but we’re going to have to make some choices,” he said. “This has been very informative. Now the hard part comes in making decisions.”
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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