CAMDEN — Preble Shawnee Board of Education will revisit the idea of replacing the stadium’s bleachers in the new year. The topic was discussed during a meeting on Thursday, Dec. 7, where Superintendent Matt Bishop provided price quotes for the board.
However, board member Charlie Biggs requested they wait until all new board members were installed to make such a large decision. The rest of the board agreed.
The topic had been previously discussed during the November meeting, and Bishop gathered quotes for the bleacher repairs. However, he found there would be additional costs to repairing them, costs the board has to tread carefully with, now that any repairs to the building has to come from the general fund. Members of the board had been hoping to replace the buildings with levy funds.
Bishop said, “We looked at preliminary quotes of what it would look like to repair the stadium bleachers. If you remember, the boards that people are standing on are wobbly and would need to be replaced, whether we go with wood or aluminum. The other part is replacing the foot boards — the boards that will stop stuff from rolling and falling out, which is a requirement from our insurance adjusters.
“We looked at the cost of those repairs and we checked with our school attorney — as soon as we start making modifications to the old grandstands, then they need to become ADA compliant at that point. If we make changes, then we have to make it ADA accessible, which will be adding additional cost to the project. When you add in the cost to renovate, plus ADA compliance, you are looking at a very substantial cost, versus just replacing the bleachers all together.
“There are other issues with the rusting of the steel frame and the padding that it is sitting on, the bleachers are starting to sit,” he said. “If we renovated the bleachers, instead of replacing them, you are looking at a five- to 10-year window. We are estimating that significant work is going to need to be done to the framing structure.
“Knowing the two pieces in comparison, I would recommend that we move forward with replacing the bleachers.”
Bishop added, he hoped to have a decision by the special meeting on Friday, Dec. 22, but board member Biggs recommended waiting until all new board members were on board to make such a decision.
Board President Jeff Wood agreed, “I think it would be fair to wait.”
“Is there any information you guys would want, prior to the meeting on Thursday, Jan. 4? If there is any information you guys would want prior to that meeting, let me know,” Bishop said. “I don’t think waiting from the 22nd until Jan. 4 is that big of a deal and I think that is fair.”
