May provides update on Brookville stadium project
BROOKVILLE — The Brookville Area School Board received an update on the state of the Brookville Area High School football stadium at Monday’s school board meeting, which was held at the Hickory Grove Elementary School gymnasium.
Dr. Erich May, Brookville Area School District superintendent, began his report with a discussion about the stadium, focusing on the field surface and the track.
May said that Bob Fiscus, director of buildings and grounds; Dave Osborne, athletic director; and he met with Justin Cayman of PA State Sod, Clearfield, and they were talking about the kind of improvements that are needed for the football field this spring without pushing back use of the field.
“It will probably be a threetier approach, and it involves replacing some sections of sod,” May said. “It includes reseeding the top dressing in other sections in the field and attacking the problem from below with a camera checking out the drains underneath.”
May said that Cayman told him that in some ways, the field is in good shape. “He said it compares favorably with some other fields in this area,” May said, adding that Cayman talked extensively about the work he did at the stadium in Punxsutawney.
“He punctuated the field and improved the drainage,” May said. “Cayman thought that the work he did in Punxsy ultimately helped them to decide to stay with grass.”
He added, though, that doesn’t mean that’s the direction Brookville will decide to go.
“I think he understands that I’m trying to get a couple of more years out of the field as it is, because we can get a couple of more years out of the track,” May said. “We don’t want to make any major changes inside the track until the track itself is approaching expiration.”
May said he thinks that Cayman knew where they were coming from and understands the timetable.
“We want to make some improvements, we want to address it,” May said, adding that Cayman talked a lot about rolling the field and they did it during the regular season and during the playoffs.
May said they took Cayman and showed him the worst areas of the field.
“He’s talking about cutting out sections of the field and putting fresh turf in some places,” he said. “About a third of the way out in any direction that grass is in really good shape.”
May said they are looking at a targeted approach and waiting for a quote from Cayman. “In the meantime Mr. Fiscus is reaching out to companies that can provide camera work to look at the drains,” May added.
John Pozza, board member, asked about the lights at the stadium. “In particular, the light stands, because there was an issue with one of the stands,” Pozza said.
May said the lights factor into the coming year or the next year as part of the fiveyear plan. “Initially, we were phasing in improvements to the stadium, with the scoreboard first, lights next, the press box after that and then the grass or turf issue after that,” May said, adding that different committees have spoken about the issues they have with the fieldhouse.
“So, increasingly there’s going to be a focus on the stadium in the next couple of years,” May said.
Pozza said the main entrance to the high school has always been poorly lit. “Is it a matter of a brighter bulb in the chain at entrance off of Jenks Avenue; something needs to be done,” Pozza said.
May said they’re going to get some federal money here within the next four years. “The money should definitely be spent on one-time expenses as much as possible,” he said. “These kind of infrastructure improvements might be the best way to spend that money.”
He said that four companies bid on the high school driveway project and came in under what they had budgeted and promised more money than what was needed.
“That was really good news, and Mr. Fiscus was accepting the alternate bid for also paving the receiving area parking lot,” May said. “I really appreciate the work that Mr. Fiscus did to make sure we had a competitive process there that resulted in a really nice low bid.”
May said that bids were solicited for paving the main drive and the front loop of the Jr./Sr. High School paving project at an amount of $89,200, and the paving of the receiving parking lot at an amount of $17,620.
He said that he wants the board to know, as requested, that they’re working on that issue regarding the maintenance shop.
“There’s a two-tone metal exterior on the shop, and we’re still hopeful that we’ll be able to bid the job out in April, potentially accepting the bids in May or maybe June, and we’re hopeful to be breaking ground in August and September,” he said.
• Homebound Instruction — May said in accordance with Policy No. 117 Homebound Instruction, “The superintendent may grant recommended requests for homebound instruction and shall report each to the board at its next regular meeting.
May said one elementary student has been approved for homebound instruction.
In other business, the school board approved:
• Gifts, grants and donations:
— A donation of $4,000 was received from Seneca Resources Corporation toward the new football scoreboard for the stadium.
— A donation of $25 was received from the Class of 1968 designated for the high school library.
• Esser II Fund — Notification has been received that Brookville Area School District has been approved for $1,654,451 for the elementary and secondary school Emergency Relief Fund ESSER II from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) of 2020.
• Natural gas procurement — Authorization for the business administrator to work with the PUC-approved natural gas supplier for the procurement of natural gas at a rate and term to be decided based on market conditions.
• Summer school is scheduled for June 14 to July 23, to be open to Brookville students at a cost of $135 per course.
• Commencement is scheduled for May 26, with rain dates of June 1 or June 7.
• Public Comments — Jean Dush, Brookville resident, said she wasn’t in favor of adding philosophy as a course.
“I don’t think it would be a good idea to teach philosophy as a subject in the school district, as things are shaky in our government right now and not a good time to teach our children an alternate ways of looking at different subjects,” Dush said.
May said that he would set up a time to discuss the issue with her soon.