The South Whidbey School District Board of Directors are off and running to resurface the South Whidbey High School track.
The board agreed to move forward with a revised list of first-year levy priorities provided by the administration at a workshop on Feb. 12.
“The bottom line is you need the surface, not a stopgap surface,” Superintendent Jo Moccia emphasized during the meeting.
Along with the track, the list includes 31 other projects to complete by the beginning of November on school district properties. The projects are funded as part of the $6 million capital/technology levy for 2013-2020.
The track resurfacing is the big-ticket item for the first year at an estimated $250,000. First-year projects are estimated to total $689,081.
Also planned for year one are installation of a keyless entry system at the high school, carpeting for Langley Middle School, South Whidbey Elementary School and South Whidbey Academy, HVAC — heating, ventilation and air conditioning — controls at the middle school, and a new roof at the Bayview school property.
Two projects already completed include the middle school football field drainage issue and cafeteria flooring.
For the remaining projects, school administrators will begin seeking bids and quotes from contractors.
Administrators received an estimate and recommendations from Beynon, a national surface installation company, to repair the infrastructure of the track and lift and replace the surface. The estimate includes filling and patching holes in a base layer of asphalt as needed.
The administrators chose a blue high-quality material to last 15 years and one resurface material for an additional 5-10 years.
High school track and field coach Mark Eager said he was humbled by the board’s decision. He also requested the board look at a two-year project for the track in order to surface an area behind the field goal called the D-zone. The D-zone is currently surfaced with grass, and replacing the area with track material would cost an estimated $100,000 in addition to the initial cost of $250,000.
In a previous meeting, Eager explained the necessity for a new track citing no home meets, injuries and lost practice time for the team.
As the projects go forward, administrators will seek board approval at upcoming meetings for work costing more than $40,000.
“I think it’s outstanding, I’m so excited to see us get going,” said School Board Director Linda Racicot of the projects.
The next school board meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26 in the School Board Room at South Whidbey Elementary School, 5380 Maxwelton Road, Langley.
