SILOAM SPRINGS -- The School Board voted 5-0 on Sept. 14 to add $340,000 to the budget for the baseball-softball-tennis complex currently under construction.
The money will pay for stronger footings, tension netting and masonry on the backstop at $60,976 and an expanded dugout that will provide changing rooms for the home teams for $113,847.
The district designated $6 million to upgrade its sports facilities. The project included new turf at the football stadium for $577,611, which is completed. The district also is building a new complex for baseball and softball fields and tennis courts.
Charlie Ochs, vice president for preconstruction at Mammoth Sports Construction, told the board the construction budget only has $1.5 million remaining. The School District would need to put another $1.5 million into the project to build it with features discussed in the meeting.
"We can still hit the budget, but it won't have as much quality," Ochs said.
In addition to the features above, the board postponed funding lights on the tennis courts for $300,032, a shade structure over the courts for $66,786 and a shade structure for the batting cages at $149,647.
The money for the sports complex project came from the district's accounts, said Shane Patrick, assistant superintendent. He said district officials work to manage their money to build facilities without raising the millage or selling bonds.
Board member Aric Bergthold asked about the importance of the lights on the tennis courts.
"Lighting on the tennis courts will not tremendously affect our student-athletes," he said. "Their matches are over before dark."
"We might not be able to host a state tournament," Patrick answered.
"You are turning down the one thing the tennis coaches asked for," Superintendent Jody Wiggins said. "They play in August and September and don't have any shade unless we provide it."
Wiggins noted a cover over the batting cage would allow the team to hit on days with bad weather. They start practice in winter, he said.
Bergthold suggested what projects to hold, and the board agreed.
Bergthold said adding money to the project is "a tough pill to swallow" after spending $6 million.