Board moves forward on $16.3 million athletic facilities plan; funding to come from 1% sales-tax interest and other nonrecurring sources

Halifax County school officials and the school board agreed to proceed with design and permitting for a proposed athletic complex that includes renovated baseball and softball fields, a competition track, and a practice facility, funding to be requested from multiple one-time local sources.

Architects and coaches presented a revised site plan and practice facility concept on the stadium campus. The board, after questions about security fencing, spectator circulation and accessibility, voted to continue with the concept and authorized staff to prepare permit-ready drawings.

What the plan includes

Architect John Mundt presented the concept as a reconfigured site with a new practice facility (an indoor practice area with storage and locker rooms), ticket booth, resurfaced tennis courts, improved field lighting and a home-stand seating capacity of roughly 2,100 on the home side. Mundt described the indoor area as "a big open, synthetic turf area" with locker rooms and storage designed for multi-sport use.

"This is envisioned mostly as your visitor bus turnaround so that your players would come in this way," Mundt said while walking through the site plan.

Athletic director Mister Saunders, who joined coaches and principals in a committee that reviewed designs, said the conceptual revisions reflected coach input and addressed priority needs such as dugout improvements and site circulation. "He hit the nail on the head with three main concerns we had," Saunders said of the design team's response to coach requests.

How the board would pay

Finance staff, led in discussion by Doctor Bucklew, outlined $16,314,000 in potential sources that could be requested from the county board of supervisors without touching the school division's operating budget or carryover. Those buckets include:

- $3.334 million in excess 1% sales-tax variance and accrued interest (the so-called 1% fund), - an $800,000 projected variance for the fiscal year, - $223,000 intended for the high school campus use, - $10 million of remaining bond distribution restricted to the high school campus, - $1.307 million from expected debt-service reductions, - about $650,000 in tax-savings from owner-direct purchases.

Board members asked whether approving the concept commits them to a final price; staff said the estimate would be refined as design and bidding proceed and that value engineering would be used if bids exceed available funds. Board member Mason urged timely action to avoid inflation-driven price increases.

Formal action

A motion to proceed with the design direction shown at the meeting was seconded and carried by roll-call vote. The clerk recorded the board's votes; the motion passed with all present board members voting yes.

Next steps and conditions

Design consultants said they will develop permit-ready drawings and that staff will coordinate questions through the superintendent's office. Board members asked staff to continue seeking cost savings, owner-direct procurement where possible, and to prepare for a joint meeting with the board of supervisors to formalize requests for county approval of the funding sources.

Speakers and testimony in the record included architects from the design team, athletic staff, principals and multiple board members. The board emphasized accessibility, perimeter security fencing and maintaining spectator sightlines as design priorities.

Votes at a glance

- Approve moving forward with the athletic facilities concept and permit-level design: passed by roll-call vote (unanimous among members present).

The design team will return with refined drawings and cost estimates; staff will also seek a joint meeting with the county board of supervisors to request approval of the funding package.