Natrona County trustees approve major maintenance list, accept $35,000 donation for Kelly Walsh scoreboard

The Natrona County School District #1 Board of Trustees approved a list of major maintenance projects and unanimously accepted an anonymous $35,000 donation toward a power upgrade for a new scoreboard at Kelly Walsh High School’s Harry Gelding Stadium.

The actions, taken during the board’s regular meeting, also cleared plans for field-turf installation at the stadium, additional stadium and athletics-area construction and several other maintenance projects the district said are aimed at making school facilities more usable year-round.

Board chair Christofferson thanked the donor after the motion to accept the gift, saying, "I would like to thank whoever the anonymous donor is out there. They have a big heart and that's gonna be a great scoreboard." The donation and the broader major-maintenance list were approved through separate motions.

Why it matters: The upgrades include work intended to extend the usability of athletic facilities, reduce maintenance needs and support extracurricular programs. Several projects combine district funds with private donations, meaning private contributions will directly affect construction timing and scope.

What the board approved and the votes - Consent agenda: The board approved the consent agenda, which included multiple routine items and nine bids. A trustee noted that one large consent item was the planned replacement of Kelly Walsh’s football field; trustees said that item had been discussed as part of the school’s master plan. The consent agenda passed unanimously. - Grants, gifts, donations: The board accepted a $35,000 anonymous donation specifically to support a power upgrade for the new scoreboard and a $3,298 grant from National Archery in Schools to Poison Spider School for archery equipment. The gifts were approved unanimously. - Major maintenance list: Trustees voted to accept a list of major maintenance projects that had been reviewed by the Infrastructure and Planning Committee earlier the same day. The board chair announced the vote as eight in favor and one abstention. One trustee recused himself from the vote.

Key project details provided at the meeting - Kelly Walsh scoreboard and stadium: The scoreboard has been designed and purchased; district staff said the scoreboard installation is scheduled for March, weather permitting. The scoreboard construction will be supported by the anonymous donation plus district funds. The power upgrade covered by the donation is intended to support the new scoreboard and stadium upgrades. - Stadium field turf: The planned synthetic turf installation for the stadium is scheduled for summer, after the school year ends, with a target of having the field ready for the upcoming football season. - Restrooms and retaining wall at tennis courts: The district reported delays on restroom delivery but said a retaining wall and related work are planned for spring, weather permitting. - Driver-training course relocation: Trustees approved moving the district’s driver-training course from the Event Center parking area to a district-owned open field across from Morad Park and discussed designs for a storage/garage area and instructor station; target completion was described as June, weather permitting. - Soccer-field facility: The district is reviewing designs for a new bathroom/concession/locker-room building that would include four bathrooms, four team locker areas with private facilities, a concession stand with an elevated operator area and cold storage for bleachers; cost estimates are pending.

Funding and oversight District staff said the projects are funded through a mix of school/district funds and private donations. Board members indicated that some items were included in earlier master plans and that the Infrastructure and Planning Committee had reviewed the maintenance list before it was presented to the full board.

Next steps and timeline District staff said they will return cost estimates where pending and proceed with procurement and construction as weather and funding allow. The board itself accepted the committee’s recommendations and did not place additional conditions on the approvals at the meeting.

Ending Board members highlighted the combination of public and private funds as enabling several projects and emphasized the district’s intent to time construction to minimize disruption to school activities.