At their March meeting, the District #18 Board of Education approved a four-lane 400-meter asphalt track to be placed around the practice field adjacent to Elgin Field.
While plans continue for the practice track, the location may change.
On Wednesday night, Superintendent Dan Polk told the board costs for necessary dirt work for the track to be placed around the practice field location had come in at approximately $20,000, much higher than originally anticipated. Add to that, Polk said asphalt costs have increased.
He proposed and the board seemed favorable to the idea, that the practice track be placed around Elgin Field and be done so, in such a way, that would allow for drainage away from the field and, most importantly to be strong enough to allow football fans to drive over the asphalt and park in the endzones.
Moving the practice track to around Elgin Field will likely require changes to be made to the construction of a new crows nest on the west side. However, administration along with board members believed the new track and new crows nest could be designed to co-exist.
The location of the practice track will be placed on the agenda for the May meeting when a final decision will be made.
In other developments, the board did the following:
Banquets — Approval was given for Wolfpack sports to have separate end-of-the-season banquets. The action follows approval for separate banquets approved by the Pope John Advisory Board. The decision was made to allow for a better event to celebrate the end of the season.
Summer work — Big-ticket summer work projects were given the go-ahead by the board. They include improvements to visitors lockerrooms, more automatic light switches for public areas and an updated server for the school’s security camera system. The total of the projects exceeded $32,000.
The school’s music program and music booster requests were presented to the board by instructor Eric Heithoff. He requested, and the board approved, to allow boosters to use a school bus and two school vans to transport students and parents to the Orpheum Theatre in Omaha to see the musical “Wicked.” The boosters will, as they have in the past, cover driver pay, gas and other associated expenses with the trip. The trip will take place on May 26. Also, the board approved music instrument rotation as presented by Heithoff.
Heithoff said he’s excited about increased interest in the music/band programs at the school. “Numbers are growing again,” he said. It’s possible, he said, the school could again have a marching band and pep band. Now, Heithoff, said, there are 18 students in band, the majority in seventh grade. As for choir, the number of students participating is 33.
