Spring Hill ISD approves Panther Stadium changes

19 January 2016

Panther Stadium's home bleachers will face west beginning in August as Spring Hill ISD board of trustees unanimously voted Monday to continue to make a string of improvements on the stadium.

The board also approved designing the stadium's turf and track to the width of a standard 400-meter University Interscholastic recommendation, with preliminary cost estimated between $2.4 million and $2.5 million that would come from the fund balance and general fund.

The improvements stem from a $41 million bond passed in 2008.

"I know that is a whole lot of money for our community to absorb, but the one thing is, we can do it without mortgaging our future," Superintendent Steven Snell said. "And the other thing, it gives us a centerpiece for our entire campus to be proud of."

Engineer Jeff Breese of SET Engineering in Dallas and architect Phil Thacker of Thacker/Davis Architects in Longview are assisting the school district with the design and bidding process.

Thacker told the board he will have bids ready to go in February, and the board can approve bids in March, with companies starting in April to work on the changes. Then the chosen company will have April through August to complete the work on the changes.

The bleachers would come in during the summer and would take about a week to install, Thacker said.

"Without that recommendation, if we would have dealt with the grandstands the way they were, we would have narrowed the track and lengthened the track to get the 400 meters that we needed," Breese said.

"The football field wouldn't have changed; it was the soccer field that we were trying to protect there. If we wouldn't have widened our space, we would have had a very narrow soccer field as far as the world of soccer goes; more narrow than most other schools have."

In December, the school announced plans to install artificial turf in thestadium during summer.

Board members still are considering a new press box, Thacker said.

The board discussed concerns about only one concession stand for attendees during events in the stadium. Snell said he didn't see a problem with visitors and home attendees using the same one during games because that was a normal scenario at other schools.Board member Frank Bufkin III supported the swap because the sun sets on the wide side during junior varsity and varsity games and shines down on home attendees as they watch the game.As the board discussed the disadvantages and advantages, Snell urged members to keep in mind this was a long-term decision and to consider what would they need throughout 35 years from now."I think building something that is nice, that is appropriate, that meets our needs and isn't too cost prohibited, I think that is a very good thing for Spring Hill ISD," Snell said.

The $41 million bond passed in 2008 is for new schools and new technology. So far, the school district has built a high school that is five years old and has completed several district improvements, News-Journal news partner KETK reported last month. Board member Karen Wright reminded the board to also keep in mind the fifth-grade wing that needs to be completed and more technology upgrades.

 

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