WEST ALEXANDRIA — The Twin Valley Community Local Board of Education has scheduled a special meeting to discuss changes to the home side bleachers of the football and soccer stadium at the high school. The meeting will take place on Monday, July 6, at 6:30 p.m.
Superintendent Clint Moore addressed the issue during the school board meeting on Wednesday, July 24, stating the bleachers have some very serious issues.
“The east end is getting to be very problematic as it’s moving off its foundation and the braces are now becoming – the torsion or pressure on them is creating the braces to be bent,” said Moore. “I think we need to really start making some efforts to replace them. There is no way in making them better. In fact, if you make them better, then you have to make them code. To make that amount of change, that would be a major investment.”
Moore laid out three options for the future of the bleachers.
The first option is to “blow them up” and replace them as soon as possible, as the fall sport season is approaching. There are a few companies willing to work with the timeline of completing the project before the fall season, with the cost ranging from $90,000 to $200,000, depending on the concrete pad.
The second option is to embark on fundraising and allow the community to embrace the problem and facilitate the financial resources for new bleachers. The issue with that option is all in the timing, said Moore.
The last option laid out by Moore was to bring in a company to demo the bleachers and get a blank slate. The school would bring in portable bleachers for the North end, but flip the “home” and “away” sides, making the visitors sit in the portable seats.
The final option allows the school more time to fund-raise and come across the needed funds.
No decision was made as the board decided they wanted to approach the situation as a community.
Board member Sean Maggard also suggested contacting the company that Eaton High School used that found funding for their new sports facility.
The meeting will be held in the media room but will move to the gymnasium if needed.
