Track project tops Creek Valley agenda

At the monthly Deuel County Board of Education (BOE) meeting, there was a lengthy discussion concerning the process and costs to either replace or repair the track at the Creek Valley High School. There is $450,000 in the budget to work with for the track project.

There are grants available that may cover 25 percent as long as the surface used is composed of 25 percent of Nebraska rubber granules from recycled tires, per Ruth Johnston with the Department of Environmental Quality. Johnston stated that most of the schools will get a $20,000 to $25,000 grant. This is the 25 percent of the typical cost of putting the top layer down. If just the top layer is replaced at Creek Valley, the estimate is $104,000. Johnston later contacted the board members and said that there is some certainty that a grant will be awarded for around at least 25 percent of the cost for the top layer to be replaced, this would be in the area of $25,000.

There is a proposal for $374,481 for a “sandwich” system type of track repair. Johnston had never heard of the process that the contractor plans to use; it is something new.

The board members told her that the contractor had developed it, and he is trying to get a patent on it. The contractor made contact with Johnston to explain the process of the new system, but Johnston said that he wasn’t comfortable explaining the process because he hadn’t gotten the patent yet, but that he would contact his lawyer to see what information he could give to them.

But Johnston said that more documentation would be needed from the installer to prove the merits of using the new “sandwich” system, because when looking at grants of 25 percent of the cost of this system it is in the vicinity of $93,000. Johnston stated that no grant has been given for this type of product and they needed to know more about it.

The “sandwich” system repairs the base, and puts a sub-base on it before the top layer is installed. This will work providing that the base itself can be repaired and doesn’t “fall through.” If the base has to be torn out, the cost could be closer to $800,000 for everything.

Concerns were raised about the warranty of the track. By research that has been done, in the past, companies have been known to put down a couple of tracks and then declare bankruptcy so that they were not bound by the warranties; then the company would reappear with a different name. The existing track was put in by Track Renovation, and the board members voted in a recent meeting to work with this company. A proposal was sent in by this company last July about replacing just the top layer of the track, but the contractor stated that cracks may appear almost immediately because the base is not good. This contractor met with board members recently about the new system, which would repair the base and put the top over the existing base, and the contractor agreed to warranty it just like he would if he put a new asphalt base in. Cracks in the base were noticed and repaired during the last renovation. The contractor stated that he replaced just a top layer, as requested, by a school last June, and the school contacted the contractor in September to let him know that cracks were already appearing in the top layer. The contractor said that he told the school before he put in the top layer that cracks would appear because the base would not support the new layer.

The “new system” track is warrantied for five years, and that is industry standard. The track will be sealed on top and bottom to prevent any moisture from entering, which is what causes the cracks.

According to the contractor, it is preferable, and it might be cheaper, for the school to line up disposal of the old layer in advance. A disposal company has been contacted, and they agreed to deliver a large dumpster to the site for use and the company will also pick up the dumpster. The total estimated cost for this through the disposal company is $2,500 to $3,000.

The board members agreed that something has to be done with the track, or track meets will have to be cancelled. The project will take around a month and a half to complete.

A conclusion was reached to further discuss the options and to schedule an online meeting with the contractor so that more information can be obtained.

Creek Valley High School senior Dusty Graeff made an impassioned plea to the board members to bring back middle school cheerleading. She stressed the importance of how cheerleaders boost school spirit and morale. Graeff stated that she believed that in the five years since the middle school cheerleading was taken away, the school spirit has died.

She also agreed to volunteer as much time as possible to help the cheerleaders since she will be staying in the area after graduation and she will be able to attend all of the football games next year. She realizes that cost might be an issue, but with the use of the old cheerleader uniforms, all that would have to be purchased is pom-poms, shoes and underpants for the uniforms.

Graeff stated that if the program could begin small, with only two to three cheerleaders, and only for home games if transportation is an issue, it would still help the school spirit and the football player’s morale just to know that people are there for them. She went on to say that when she was a cheerleader, her self-esteem improved and her confidence level was raised. The board members will consider adding this as a discussion item for April.

The next scheduled BOE meeting is April 9 ninth of April in the board room at Creek Valley Elementary School, at 7:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend.