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COVINGTON, Ga. — Potential upgrades to Sharp Stadium was a scorching subject a couple of months again amongst board of training members, athletic administrators and native coaches. However, in keeping with COO Michael Barr, the dialog started when the capital enchancment plan, which covers the interval from Jan. 1, 2020, by way of Dec. 31, 2024, was accepted by the board of training.
The highest two priorities of the capital enhancements plan had been the development of a brand new Eastside Excessive Faculty and renovations to the previous Eastside Excessive Faculty that may home the brand new Theme Faculty that’s at the moment situated on the former Ficquett college facility.
Now that Eastside’s new constructing is full, Barr mentioned that deliberate tasks for the stadium may start.
“The board of training has accepted the fiscal 12 months 2023 funds, which incorporates synthetic turf for the sector, new subject lighting and the demolition of the previous Sharp college, which is able to permit for parking zone enhancements as quickly as of FY 2024,” Barr mentioned.
Native head soccer coaches and athletic administrators just lately acknowledged their assist of putting in synthetic turf to The Information in a June 8 article.
Barr harassed the turf’s significance to the longevity of Sharp Stadium and its subject, too — a stadium that has been round since 1956.
“Within the close to time period, the purpose is to make sure Sharp Discipline is appropriately maintained,” Barr mentioned. “Synthetic turf will assist guarantee the sector is at all times in good situation for the three excessive faculties that ceaselessly make the most of the power.
“The long-term goal is for every highschool to have a whole athletic facility; nonetheless, that work isn’t within the present plan.”
Nonetheless, Barr didn’t say what a “full athletic facility” would come with.
For every college to have its personal athletic facility, Barr mentioned a proposal must wait to be thought-about for the subsequent capital enchancment plan that may start in January 2025.
Different athletic facility upgrades are within the works exterior of Sharp Stadium for FY 2023:
– Laser grading the soccer subject at Indian Creek Center Faculty
– Changing the monitor at Alcovy Excessive Faculty
– New wrestling and monitor gear
– Changing the sound system in Newton Excessive Faculty’s gymnasium
– Including a softball subject at Clements Center Faculty
When Clements Center Faculty’s new softball subject is constructed, all county center faculties could have their very own softball fields.
That is along with upgrades made throughout the 2021-22 college time period which included:
– Set up of Pixellot cameras in any respect excessive faculties’ gymnasiums and Sharp Stadium
– New SpeedFlex helmets equipped to all soccer groups
– Climate detection units supplied to varsities
- Shot clocks had been put in within the excessive faculties’ gymnasiums
– Wrestling mats had been bought for Indian Creek Center Faculty.
Barr acknowledged that it was a group effort to perform all of this and plan to get extra finished within the close to future.
“District employees, principals and athletic administrators frequently meet to verify the wants of athletic applications in any respect center and excessive faculties are understood,” Barr mentioned. “On account of these collaborative efforts, we will plan for sustainability and steady enchancment of our athletic program.
“These purchases instantly resulted from suggestions from athletic administrators and coaches and represented the synergism in our faculty system.”
Barr credited ESPLOST (particular function native possibility gross sales tax for training) collections for funding such tasks and enhancements. With out ESPLOST, Barr mentioned no upgrades could be potential.
“Regardless of these competing calls for, district employees and the Board of Schooling acknowledge the significance of our athletic applications and have labored to make sure that enhancements to athletic services are included within the capital enchancment plan,” Barr mentioned. “We’re grateful to the neighborhood for his or her assist of ESPLOST. These tasks and enhancements to different services wouldn’t be potential with out the assist of Newton County voters.”
Board of Schooling Chair Shakila Henderson-Baker echoed Barr’s assist of athletic facility upgrades in Newton County, too.
“Should you ever watched our conferences all of us assist the athletic applications,” Henderson-Baker mentioned. “The truth is, I’m a mother of a highschool athlete and anybody who is aware of me personally is aware of that. Like every programming, you need to have the funds first to have the ability to do it and we have now to be fiscally accountable to the taxpayers, which once more was why that mission was listed on the ESPLOST.”
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