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Riverside boosters ask board for track, throwing pit and repairs; trustees acknowledge maintenance backlog
Summary
A Riverside High School booster and parent delegation asked the board for facility repairs including a throwing pit, track resurfacing and multiple outdoor concessions and roofing repairs; trustees said turf and field funds are prioritized and will examine funding options and levy restrictions.
A delegation from Riverside High School on May 5 asked the Kanawha County Board of Education to fund track and field upgrades, including a throwing pit, track resurfacing and repairs to concession stands and other outdoor structures.
Joseph Groom, who identified himself as a parent, booster and Fayette County Board of Education member, outlined multiple needs: holes and damaged roofs on concession buildings, a non-functional softball scoreboard, tennis-court repairs, a damaged football weight-room roof and electrical and lighting problems in the auditorium. He said Riverside’s throwing athletes had practiced on an open field and asked the district to construct a throwing pit and upgrade the track so Riverside could host meets. Groom said the school draws athletes from multiple nearby schools for training and that a local coach attracts out-of-area participants. He asked the board to consider reallocating funds previously discussed for East Bank improvements if permissible.
Board members and Dr. Williams acknowledged broad maintenance needs across the district, noting wage reductions to the number of facilities in recent years and the fiscal strain of maintaining many older buildings. Transportation and turf-field funding streams were described: Dr. Williams and trustees explained that current turf-field funds are used to address stadium fields and that a multi-year plan addresses three schools per year before moving to tracks and tennis courts. Board member Andrew Crawford said Riverside is on a list of sites under consideration for track improvements but noted levy funds are specific in allowable uses and that some funding may be restricted to particular communities.
Trustees asked staff to check whether East Bank funds, coal-severance allocations or other financing options could be applied to Riverside work and to return with options. No immediate allocation was made; the board did not vote on funding at the meeting.
