Bentonville board approves BHS track project

BENTONVILLE -- The Bentonville High School track will have a new surface in June.

The School Board voted unanimously Tuesday for the Athletic Department to pay up to $265,000 to remove the latex track surface and replace it with a new polyurethane surface.

"This is something we've been working on for five years," Athletics Director Scott Passmore said.

Tracks last about eight to 10 years, and the Bentonville track is 12 years old, Passmore said. The district didn't schedule a spring track tournament at Tiger Stadium this year because of the condition of the track.

"It's not up to the standard we would like," he said.

About 150 students per day use the track, Passmore said.

The latex track is hard, thin and asphalt is exposed in some places, Passmore has said. The new track from Beynon Sports Surfaces in Georgetown, Texas, will be better on students' joints, he said. The company has installed tracks at 18 schools in Arkansas, according to the district.

The track at West High School is a polyurethane surface.

Cabot High School has a polyurethane track from Beynon Sports, said Leon White, head track coach for Cabot High School. Latex tracks generally don't last as long as polyurethane tracks and require more maintenance.

Money for the track project will come from an Athletics Department's advertising account, Passmore said. Revenue for the account comes from sponsorship programs, signs posted on athletic facilities and ads posted on athletics websites, applications and live stream video.

Board Secretary Joe Quinn praised Passmore for efforts to generate money through advertising for the track project.

The advertising money is reserved for expenses outside the normal operating budget, Passmore said. The operating budget pays for day-to-day expenses. The advertising account also is separate from an activity fund supported by gate receipts.

No money will come from what the department is raising for the new Tiger Stadium football field surface through ads displayed on the football field, Passmore said.

NW News on 01/18/2017

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