By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The USD 431 Hoisington Board of Education had to delay its budget meeting by a week, but Monday's meeting still featured plenty of numbers. Under old business, the board opened the meeting by discussing the future of the turf and track at Hoisington High School.
"We are looking at about approximately $2 million to make the updates and changes that need to be done," said Superintendent Patrick Crowdis. "Our turf is getting to the point where it is going to be - it needs to be updated. The track is past updating. We will not be able to host a track meet after this season if we don't go ahead and do something this coming summer."
Crowdis told the board he has talked with a lending institution about five and seven-year payment plans, with the latter costing the district just shy of $325,000. The board only moved forward with looking at bids on the project Monday, but Crowdis said now is the time to begin planning.
"We're not approving the 2023-24 budget this year, but my recommendation is that we go ahead and look at financing $2 million over seven years, and then next year we would raise the capital outlay to eight mills," he said. "That would then allow us to have approximately $257,000 left in capital outlay after we make our payment, to continue to do updates and capital projects that we need to."
The district plans to seek bids from Mammoth Sports Construction in Lenexa, ATG Sports in Andover, and Hellas Construction in Wichita. Crowdis emphasized the $2 million price tag only covers redoing the track and turf and no other construction. He also said it's going to be a lengthy process.
"Everything inside that fence and inside the building at the high school, I have to get approval from the Kansas Historical Society to change," he said. "That is about a 4-week process in itself to get approval from them."
Crowdis reminded the board the district does have other money, including a planned $40,000 contribution from the Hoisington Rec Commission for turf replacement, and $160,000 left from the last time the turf was replaced. A donor has given $90,000 for high school facility upgrades.
The board called for a special budget meeting now scheduled for Monday, Sept. 19 at 7 a.m. The board will continue to examine the turf and track issue at the October meeting.