BLOOMDALE – Elmwood has some hurdles to overcome when it comes to its track.
The track has been showing wear and tear in recent years and the top is separating from the base.
“It’s obvious we at least need a top,” said board member Debbie Reynolds, who recently toured the track area, at Monday’s board of education meeting.
When the company out of Texas installed the track, it told the district it would need to be sealed between years 12 and 15, said Superintendent Tony Borton.
The Ohio company that recently looked at it said sealing should have been done in year seven or eight.
“It’s nothing we’ve done, it’s what we were told that should have happened,” Borton said.
The eight-lane all-weather track was part of a renovation of the school’s football stadium, which was completed in 2012.
The board hired Garmann Miller for architectural services for the repair and gave permission to the firm to prepare bid documents after taking core samples of the ground around the track.
“No matter what, we’ve got to come in and get the rubber surface off,” Borton said. “But we want to know what are the issues with the base.”
Core samples will be taken at eight areas around the track to find out the status of the dirt around the track.
“The core samples, which will cost between $3,000 and $7,000, are key because we don’t want to spend money on something that is not needed,” Borton said. “Based on that, we will know exactly what the project is going to entail.”
If everything underneath is perfect, only a new surface will be installed at a cost of $200,000, he said.
If a new base is needed and the asphalt needs to be repaired, it could cost more than $500,000, he said.
Reynolds said she wants to see a built-in maintenance program as part of the bid.
“I feel like we might not be here had that happened,” she said.
“That’s a wonderful idea to have a yearly inspection,” Borton said.
When the track was installed, there was one contractor who designed the base, one that put in the asphalt and one who installed the rubber coating.
The rubber coating was done by a company in Texas, so it was difficult for them to do any repairs, Borton said.
Board member Jeremie Pennington also asked that the pole vault area be looked at too, since it tends to flood.
If the district goes to bid, Borton said he was going to include the football uprights looked at as well.
A drain that runs between the track and the football field also will be inspected for possible repair, he said.
Also at the meeting, the board:
• Learned that since the district opened an Amazon card in February, it has received $975 in cash back.
• Heard concerns about how long kids will spend on the bus after the district eliminated one route at the north end of the district.
It is a few minutes more but still less than one hour, Borton said.
The route was canceled because it is getting more difficult to find drivers and it will save the district money, Borton said.
• Congratulated Roger Manecke, maintenance director on his Aug. 28 retirement.
• Accepted donations of $100 in school supplies from Terry and Jennifer Brown; $400 toward the purchase of volleyball backpacks from Benschoter Hay & Straw LLC; and $235 for the student lunch program from Wayne United Methodist Church.
• Voted to continue paying for student drug testing.
• Awarded a one-year contract to Meghan Davis as third-grade teacher.
• Approved spending $25,803 on emergency evacuation speakers at the stadium and $31,954 to upgrade the public address system in the school. Both contracts were awarded to Sound Solutions.
The money will come from a safety grant with no cost to the district.
Treasurer Jenalee Niese said if kids are outside, they don’t hear if something is going on in the building.
“It’s in our best interest to upgrade what we have,” she said.
The football field is one of the student relocation points and the speakers there are scratchy and sometimes hard to hear, Borton said.
“If we need to house all the kids there in an emergency, we need everybody to hear,” he said.
• Learned First Night will be held Aug. 21 from 4-7 p.m. for all students. A freshman/new student orientation will be held in the high school gym at 6:30 p.m. Classes begin Aug. 23.
• Set the next board meeting for Sept. 5.
