Administrators and board members for USD 389 Eureka are still considering their next steps for replacing the junior-senior high school activity center after voters denied a multi-million-dollar bond for that purpose. The board, meanwhile, is moving forward with renovations to the track and football field.
Last week, board members voted unanimously to start work on McGinnis Field and the track that suffered major damage in last June’s tornado. The renovated facility will include a new concessions building, expanded and new 8-lane track, new grass field with new irrigation system, new bleachers with the home side on the west side instead of the east, and a new press box.
Unlike the $7.5 million activity center bond, the track and field work will be funded through insurance payments and capital outlay funds. Current Kansas law allows state funding for gymnasiums but not for football fields. The district has not specified how much money will come from insurance and how much is coming from capital outlay.
On the activity center, the board is determining whether to propose another bond issue for voters — and if so, when to schedule an election. In January, voters approved the bond, but those results had to be voided after pre-election publication procedure was not followed. The initial results were reversed in a second election a week ago.
