Beynon Sports Surfaces got the bid to replace Hennessey’s unusable track because school board members felt the company used products that were better than the other bidder.

Beynon also offered a 10-year warranty instead of five years on the bid by Hellas Construction.

Beynon bid $919,410 and Hellas bid $917,290.

Another reason for the board’s decision was the life expectancy before resurfacing is needed was estimated at 15 years by Beynon and 10-11 years by Hellas.

Also, a life expectancy before replacement was listed in the bid at 22 years by Beynon and 15 years by Hellas.

The eight-lane track is located east of the football field. General funds will be used to get the existing track demolished and replaced, Superintendent Jason Sternberger said during the board’s Monday, Nov. 8 meeting.

The district had applied to use its Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, but the state Department of Education denied funds for that use.

Now the board hopes to be able to use ESSER funds on outdoor learning centers at the Early Childhood Center (Pre-K and kindergarten).

“We would have had to build this track if it, and the land, hadn’t been given to us eight years ago,” said Dr. James Matthew Matousek, board president, during the meeting. “Right now it’s just a wasted piece of acreage,” said Matousek. “It’s also a matter of having a track program, or not, and that track right now is unsafe.”

“How much are we going to use it?” asked Patrick Griffin, board member/ clerk.

“It can be used for fifth and sixth grade track,” said David Tillman, who has been an advocate of the track and cross country programs even before he went on the board in the spring.

“There will be gate fees and entry fees,” said Sternberger.

Once the track is repaired, junior high and high school runners will also be able to practice there.

Part of the track bid includes repairs to field event areas, such as the pole vault and long jump pits.

The school will also need to get a timing system before it will be able to have meets there.

Track work starts soon

Dennis Regan of Wichita represented Beynon at last month’s board meeting. He said then that if they got the bid, they’d start this month.

Also, due to weather conditions, they wouldn’t be able to install the track until March.

Installation would take 21 days, including two days to stripe it, he said.

Regan also told the board that “the first thing to do is make sure it’s 400 meters.”

Fencing, parking, concessions

“What about other costs connected to the project?” asked Vice President Luke Lough.

Sternberger said they’ll need fencing at some point and they can work around the need for concessions, bathrooms and nearby parking until they can get that done.

Portable restrooms can be brought in and “we have plenty of parking, but it’s just not that close to the track,” the board was told.

In earlier meetings, the board discussed turning the old bus barn into a concession and restroom facility.

“We could host fifth and sixth and seventh grade meets to help raise funds,” said Tillman. “Mark Cox (at Okeene) told me they had two meets there and cleared $5,000 each.”

Other discussion

There were some who thought the district could use the old track around the football field, said a member.

“It’s not 400 meters,” said Griffin. “Besides, the football stands and other structures would have to be moved at considerable expense.”

At the meeting

All board members were present at Monday night’s meeting: Cristopher Choate, Matousek, Griffin, Tillman and Lough. Also at the board table with Sternberger was Office Manager/Minutes Clerk Timberly Jech.

Other staff in the audience were principals Josh Faulkner (high school), Ricardo Tarango (middle) and Stacey Mack (early childhood center); Todd Cameron, technology director, and Rae Fuksa, sixth grade math and technology assistant.