Superintendent Jason Sternberger told Hennessey school board members the district is “still waiting on the architect” about the cost of a 35x100 addition to the middle school gym for a wrestling room. Sternberger was address

Sternberger was addressing the issue during his “facilities” report at Monday night’s Hennessey Board of Education meeting.

The new addition would be for separate boys and girls dressing rooms on the west side of the middle school gym.

The wrestling program started last year in the gym that’s also used by the elementary physical education program and junior high athletics, Sternberger said.

Wrestling Tournament Successful

Then wrestling coach Korey Walker in the audience was given his cue to talk about that program and its Saturday, Dec. 4, tournament. The coach said they had

The coach said they had between 320-350 wrestlers at the first tournament and students from ages 4 to high school seniors competed.

It was held in The Dome and “we even had people from Texas and Kansas to come…It also generated a lot of money for the program.”

He said 78 Hennessey wrestlers participated and there are girls who want to go out for wrestling.

“Russ and Missy Choate, and a lot of other parents, actually put this on,” Walker said. “Russ told me the pre

“Russ told me the previous evening was sold out at the hotel,” said board Vice President Luke Lough. “And people who don’t usually stay open on Saturday stayed open that Saturday.”

Lough also said the out-of-towners liked the way the tournament was run.

“It started on time,” said the coach.

“There were people everywhere,” said Cristopher Choate, another board member. “They appreciated the layout and the extra space we had.”

“It’s great because kids of all sizes can compete against kids that are the same size,” said Patrick Griffin, clerk and board member. A seventh grader that weighs 70 pounds can compete against someone that weighs the same, he said. “It’s good to have another

“It’s good to have another winter sport and I’m excited for the direction we’re going,” Griffin said.

(Note: Online newspaper research shows that the last time Hennessey had a sanctioned wrestling program was 1978-83 led by coach Tom Dunn. He was also the gymnastics coach and taught physical education.)

Track Replacement

Sternberger said workers started milling (removing) all of the asphalt at the track.

The Beynon Sports Surfaces representative told the board at an earlier meeting that 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.

Track Concessions/ Bathrooms

The superintendent said he’s waiting on architects for costs to remodel the existing maintenance shop (former bus barn located east of the football field).

It will be remodeled for bathrooms, concessions and locker rooms for the track facility, Sternberger said.

“If the football locker rooms are moved over there as well, that would put our kids on the home side, and the current facility could possibly become the wrestling facility with a little remodeling involved and the visitor locker room during football season.” He said they are still

He said they are still deciding which plan would work and be the best use of the facilities.

Move Maintenance to S.H. 51

“If we remodel the maintenance building like we’ve discussed,” he said, “the amount of space lost there would be moved to the transportation building (bus barn on State Highway 51)” to keep equipment and tools inside. No estimated cost yet.

No estimated cost yet. Still waiting on architects, he said.

Softball Field

He said they are still working to get new dugouts and a backstop at the softball field completed.

Athletic Concessions

David Tillman, board member, said he looked at class accounts in the activity fund. He’d thought that the junior class used to always provide concessions at sporting events to raise money for the prom,

“It hasn’t been that way since I’ve been here,” said Timberly Jech, administration office manager. “The Band Boosters did the concessions for football this year.”

All groups do anything they can to keep them afloat, said someone at the board table.

Tillman said it seems the juniors are having to compete with athletics, and sports get part of the gate, and many are now getting the concessions, too. Tillman was apparently

Tillman was apparently comparing an “athletics” account in the activity fund report for November.

It shows $22,454.81 in the athletics account, and $24,790.05 in athletic travel compared with $5,475.19 in the Class of 2023 account. In addition to the ath

In addition to the athletic and athletic travel accounts, there are also these activity fund sports accounts: HS cheerleaders, $4,091.09 and JH cheerleaders, $526.99; girls basketball, $2,016.27 and boys basketball, $34.31; football, $4,412.56; softball, $424.01; baseball, $11,155.06; volleyball, $5,656.52; wrestling, $27.38 (this was before the meet here); track, $511.59; cross country, $923.24, and golf, $1,258.89.

All 58 of the accounts in the activity fund totaled $314,191.45 as of Nov. 30, according to that report. Activity fund accounts

Activity fund accounts include money from donations and fundraisers. They are not part of the school’s funding from state or federal sources.

“I don’t think which group sponsors which fundraisers requires board approval,” said board member Cristopher Choate and that discussion ended.

All members of the board were present at the December meeting: President Dr. James Matousek, Vice President Luke Lough, Clerk Patrick Griffin, Tillman and Choate.