By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 approved the construction of a new concession stand/bathroom building for the new middle school/JV field at Monday's meeting.
Vogts Construction will be the contractor for the project, which will cost $753,700. HTK Architects will receive $68,700 for design, bidding and construction administration.
"This is a project we've been talking about for a while and a project that is long overdue," Superintendent Ron Wilson said.
The high school is currently using the field as a practice field. However, the middle school will move into the former high school building when the new high school is completed.
That field will also used for soccer practice and games, as well as middle school band practice.
There are no bathrooms available for that field now. When it is used, people usually have to use restrooms inside of the high school, which is "quite a haul," Wilson said.
The district budgeted $800,000 for the structure from its capital outlay fund.
Local school groups can run and keep the funds sold at the concession stand. When the high school leases Lewis Field at Fort Hays State University, it receives none of the proceeds from the concessions.
Wilson said a new concession stand is also part of the new varsity high school field, and school groups will also be able to benefit from sales at that location.
The middle school building will not be a storm shelter.
Board member Derek Yarmer said he had concerns with the project's cost.
He asked why the middle school students couldn't use the high school varsity field.
Wilson said the varsity field will be used for high school practice and games almost every night.
"I don't think it's that expensive," Wilson said. "The second thing is, I take a lot of pride in how our facilities look, and I think our community does as well. I don't think this is extraordinary in any way. It has no architectural features in any way. It's just brick."
Yarmer said he thought the building should have been metal.
He suggested that any money saved on this building could be used to improve the other district schools being renovated as part of the bond projects.
Board member Ken Brooks said he did not think the district would save significant money by building a metal building instead of a brick building.
Yarmer said, "It's a building that gets used a handful of times per year that has no academic value to the students."
"You're spending three-quarters of a million dollars on a place to tinkle," he said. "It seems like a bad use of funds."
The building will be on the northwest side of the field on the home side.
Board member Allen Park said he was also concerned about the project's cost.
Board Vice-President Jayme Goetz said during the Maroon and Gold Scrimmage, two women in their 70s had to be driven across the parking lot to the high school because the field did not have accessible bathrooms.
The motion to approve the project passed 4-3, with Yarmer, Park and Board President Curt Vajnar voting against it.
Wilson said the district hoped to have the building finished for use by the time spring sports begin.