Iola-Scandinavia School Board OKs local efforts
By Holly Neumann
Iola-Scandinavia’s head coach may begin fundraising for a new track at Thunderbird Field in Scandinavia.
The school board voted unanimously to allow Bruce Beyersdorf to do so.
Board member Bob Fredy made the motion on Oct. 14.
He said the district needs to be the strong part of the community.
A timeframe was not set for the project.
“We’re not asking for money from the school,” Beyersdorf said. “We are asking for a blessing from the board to write out grants, send out letters, do fundraisers, get pledges and see what we can do to make this happen.”
His goal is to raise enough money for a rubberized track.
Board President Diana Jones credited Beyersdorf for his effort.
“You’re on fire to raise money and that is great,” she said. “It’s a big deal to make it happen for a small district.”
The current track is behind I-S Elementary School.
It would cost $437,790 to replace it.
“We are talking just an asphalt track,” said District Administrator Ray Przekurat. “To do this properly, you would need to take out the old track, do proper drainage and put a new track down.”
The cost to repair the cracks in the track would be $50,000, and would not include drainage.
That would fix the track and extend is life for three to five years.
Board considers options
The board considered three options – replacing the existing track or moving the track to Thunderbird Field and putting either an asphalt or rubberized one there.
“Having a track around the football field was always part of the original plan when the field was built,” said Przekurat.
An asphalt track would cost $688,344, while a a rubberized one would cost $885,624.
Each of those options would include an additional $107,391 charge for the field events: long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus and pole vault.
The maintenance cost for an asphalt track would be $25,000 every seven years.
After 20 years, the surface would have to be replaced at a cost of $150,000.
The surface of a rubberized track would have to be replaced every seven years at a cost of $70,000.
On the third cycle, the asphalt would also have to be replaced as well, at an additional cost of $150,000.
There were questions about maintenance costs, as well as about student transportation and what to do with the current track.
Students who go outside Iola’s village limits to participate in school activities must be transported by bus.
That means athletes would need to be transported to and from track practice during the season at a minimum cost of $75 per day.
Board member Mike Harbridge asked if the current track would be removed or maintained.
“We would have to do something if we are going to use it as a hard surface for the playground, physical education classes or as a practice facility,” Przekurat said.
There is no money set aside for its maintenance.
Discussion about what to do with the track was tabled.
It will be a topic when the board meets at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11.