Middle school gym project delayed; superintendent proposes turf outfield at estimated $650,000

District staff briefed the Mineola Board of Education on delays to the middle school gym renovation and proposed using the district’s undesignated fund balance to install a turf outfield at the middle school softball field so teams would have a usable, safe field in advance of spring play.

Why it matters: The gym renovation delays affect interior construction sequencing and building access; the softball outfield proposal would create an immediate play surface for students but requires an unplanned draw on reserves and a formal board vote for funding.

Superintendent Michael Naglas told the board the middle‑school gym renovation is “at least 5 months behind schedule,” citing two unresolved items: a steel roofing structure that is still not approved and curtain‑wall (window) assemblies awaiting approval and manufacture. Naglas said contractors were able to cut openings for future windows during the February break but that curtain‑wall fabrication lead times and roofing approval mean “little to no movement” is expected for the next one to two months.

Naglas said the middle‑school softball project’s infield turf (original contract scope) will be completed as planned but the outfield has been damaged (dead grass, mud) by construction traffic and equipment, creating an immediate safety and usability problem. To allow use during the season, he proposed converting the outfield to turf now rather than waiting for grass to establish, saying the district could fund the change from the undesignated fund balance. “In my mind, it’s an emergency,” Naglas said.

Board members asked technical and cost questions. Staff reported a planning estimate for converting the outfield at approximately $650,000. District staff said drainage would not require modification and that the proposed turf would cover more than half of the outfield area given the current scope (two columns on the Jackson Avenue side currently stop the project). The infield turf portion of the project remains scheduled for completion and some fencing and backstop work had already begun.

Board members expressed support for accelerating a safe field surface; one trustee said completing the full baseball outfield would be a longer‑term capital project to propose next budget cycle. The superintendent said to achieve installation before the next board meeting would require a board vote at that meeting to appropriate funds from the undesignated balance; no such appropriation was voted during the session.

Ending: The board discussed options and asked staff to bring cost details and a formal resolution for any undesignated‑fund draw at a future meeting. No formal funding decision was taken at the session.