Resident urges board to prioritize unsafe Pendleton tennis courts as superintendent flags budget shortfall

Jennifer Roberts, a Pendleton resident and parent of three district students, asked the South Madison Community School Corporation board on Sept. 4 to prioritize replacement of the Pendleton tennis courts, calling the courts unsafe, below conference standards and damaging to school pride.

"They're hazardous," Roberts told the board during the communications-from-patrons portion of the meeting. "The location next to the parking lot is chaotic. The surface is uneven with cracks and dead spots, the fence falls down one to two times a year, and students sometimes have to pick up broken glass and debris before practice." She said Pendleton has six courts in poor condition while nearby schools are investing in larger, newer complexes.

Roberts said program participation is increasing: "This past season, 32 girls tried out for the middle school team," she said, and she gave board members a spreadsheet comparing facilities in conference schools.

In response, Superintendent Dr. Hall acknowledged persistent problems with the courts and said the district has spent about $150,000 on repairs since 2016, including resurfacings in 2016 and 2023, but that the site has a water problem and structural challenges. He added that full replacement or construction of a larger complex would be costly: he cited recent regional projects, including an eight‑court facility reported at about $2 million, a 12‑court complex at about $2.6 million and a 12‑court facility with amenities around $3.9 million.

Dr. Hall said the district is facing an anticipated reduction in property tax revenue over the next three years of approximately $1.4 million, which he linked to recent state property tax law changes referenced in the meeting; he warned that loss of that revenue will affect the funds available for capital projects and said the board will need to determine priorities accordingly. He said the district will continue to explore options but could not promise immediate reconstruction.

Board members and community supporters agreed that boosters and private donations have helped other sports projects and encouraged continued community fundraising; some trustees said they would pursue site and cost options. The board had already approved a motion earlier in the meeting giving administration permission to post the 2026 budget estimates and capital project plan, a step Mr. McGarty said was required before a public hearing and budget adoption timeline.

No formal action to change the capital projects ranking was taken at the meeting. Roberts left a spreadsheet for trustees and asked the board to reconsider the courts' placement on the capital plan.