An all-weather track and a synthetic turf field as well as a
state of the art weight and wrestling rooms could be new additions
to San Benito High School, if the board of trustees approves over
$3.3 million to go through with the project.
Hollister – An all-weather track and a synthetic turf field as well as a state of the art weight and wrestling rooms could be new additions to San Benito High School, if the board of trustees approves over $3.3 million to go through with the project.
Coaches at the school have been jockeying to garner support for new construction of the facilities for several years and say sports tend to get short shrift by the administration. On Wednesday night, they again urged trustees to approve construction funds, saying the new facilities will benefit not only athletes, but all students and even other members of the community.
“We’ve grown by leaps and bounds in recent years and are in desperate need of upgrades,” said Todd Thatcher, athletic director at San Benito High School. Some 1,500 students take physical education at the school and 450 are enrolled in weights classes.
Thatcher and others hope to tap into a combination of matching grant moneys the state gave the district for construction in 2003 and unused money in the general fund, which totals $5.7 million. The grant money – about $4 million – can only be used for building educational facilities such as the weight and wrestling rooms, where students have been practicing since 1945. The room has a leaky roof, exposed wires and is packed with up to 28 wrestlers at any one time, said Matt Olejnik, a wrestling coach at the school.
“There is not enough room here,” he said, pointing to two rows of circles where student athletes wrestle within inches of one another. “Any time you step back, you end up tripping over each other.”
The physical education department hopes to replace the facility, which is also used by cheerleaders and the Color Guard, with a 10,000 sq. foot space near where the tennis courts are today. The cost has been estimated at about $2 million, according to Randy Logue, chair of the physical education department at the school.
The track and field, on the other hand, would be partially funded by undesignated money in the general fund, approximately $1.7 million, according to Steve Delay, director of fiscal services at the district. The district has been able to save money from its budget every year, transferring the difference to a reserve account to fund future growth and other unexpected finances. But with increased medical costs for employees, the district will have to evaluate whether it can afford the new sports facilities, said Delay.
The track Logue and others in the physical education department are proposing would be all-weather, meaning practice would not have to be canceled or moved just because of rain. The field would be made of synthetic material and would not have to be mowed, lined or groomed like it is now, he said.
“It’s biggest advantage is that it would be constantly usable,” said Logue. “We envision that it could be used by the junior highs, Gavilan College and even people who want to come and jog at certain parts of the day.”
Board trustee Evelyn Muro said the board had to look at how the spending will impact other programs to ensure the school is not left high and dry in the next couple of years. Three other programs are vying for the $4 million, including the auto shop, the library, which wants to add a media center and the special education faculty, which wants to build a life skills center for the severally handicapped.
“There is no doubt the facilities will be worthwhile but we have a lot of things to consider,” she said. The board is expected to vote on the proposed construction in March.
Sports facilities at San Benito High School last got an upgrade in 1990, when the Mattson Gym was built. The O’Donnell Gym was built in the 1940s.
Karina Ioffee covers education and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach her at (831)637-5566 ext. 335 or ki*****@fr***********.com
