It’s been nearly two decades since the Columbus Municipal School District made significant upgrades to its athletic facilities. Now, changes are on the horizon.
The CMSD board has agreed to spend up to $2 million of district funds on a variety of improvement projects, including installing artificial turf on the Columbus High football field, resurfacing the track that surrounds the field and constructing an indoor hitting facility for the school’s baseball and softball teams.
The CMSD board approved the expenditure during last week’s CMSD board meeting. Board president Angela Verdell emailed a statement from the district to The Dispatch on Monday evening about the upgrades.
“We believe that this comprehensive strategy will allow for better-quality facilities which will provide students access to safe and equitable extracurricular opportunities,” the statement reads. “These improvements will also make CMSD attractive for hosting tournaments and band competitions in the future, both of which may provide revenue streams for the district.”
No timeline has been set regarding when the projects will begin. District administrators are working on creating a schedule that will include a bid process and purchases, according to the district.
Part of the plan is to install a new drainage system around the football field. The track that surrounds the field is in bad shape, as the current drainage situation has led to it crumbling and eroding. The district said prior attempts to remedy the problem have been unsuccessful. As a consequence, because of safety hazards, the school can not host track meets, according to district personnel.
After having a new drainage system in place, CMSD plans to lay a new track surface.
Installing artificial turf on the football field will allow the school the possibility of creating club lacrosse and club field hockey, according to the district’s statement.
The indoor hitting facility will include restrooms and storage space, according to the district.
Other improvements that the $2 million expenditure will fund include expanding Columbus High’s weight room; installing scoreboards for the baseball, soccer, basketball and football teams; purchasing middle school team uniforms; and renovating the high school’s basketball locker rooms, according to the district.
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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