September 8, 2010
HOME > News > 2009 > 12-December

$600, 000 bid submitted for new 400 meter track

LISD trustees not impressed with track bid

By AVA BARLOW, Graphic Staff Writer

December 17, 2009 - The Leonard ISD school board members met on Monday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. to approve the District and Campus Improvement Plans, to hear the 2008-09 Academic Excellence Indicator System report, to give permission for the LHS Band to take a spring trip, hear a bid by Sports Engineering Technologies on track and infield repair, vote to accept the 2008-09 school district financial audit presented at last months meeting and approve paying the bills for November.

Jeff Bresee of Sports Engineering Technologies, Inc. presented the school board with a bid of $600,000.00 to tear out the existing track, install soil stabilization equipment before installing a new 400-meter track with eight lanes including plenty of area on the outside of the outside lanes, and making a crowned field in the middle of the track. The crowned field could be a practice field for football and other team sports and would have drainage in place so the track and area could be used when other sport fields are holding water. This would include a new high jump area, pole vault area, long jump area as well as other track related field event practice areas. The track would be a rubber surface with a 12-year warranty with a reapplied surface in six years requiring an additional fee for upkeep. Board members were not willing to make any motions or take any action at this time and thanked Bresee for his time in preparing and presenting the bid.

Jennifer Stidham requested the band be allowed to travel to Houston for the Space City Showcase of Music on Thursday, May 6 through Saturday, May 8. The band would actually perform on Friday and the students would also tour NASA Space center, and be able to spend a few hours at Schlitterbahn Waterpark on Galveston Island. Students would be responsible for raising the funds, $250 to $300 per student, to attend this event and the band has already been involved in several fundraisers this year toward a possible trip. The board approved the band trip.

Brad Maxwell presented the Campus Improvement Plan for the elementary campus stating that math scores are still lower than desirable, but intervention curriculum is being put in place to help with improving math skills in the elementary area that would improve TAKS scores. Maxwell further explained that so much emphasis had been placed on reading in the past few years and reading scores had improved and hopes were that math emphasis would bring about the same results. Maxwell went on to explain that the math scores statewide were low, so Leonard was not an exception but would be striving to return to the Exemplary status they cherish, once again. District and Campus Improvement Plans were printed for board members to read for the other campuses.

The AEIS Report was accepted as printed and a motion to pay the bills for November 2009 was passed.