The Cumberland County Board of Education directed staff to pursue formal bids to repair the Stone Memorial High School (SMHS) track and football field and discussed options for a combined tennis facility serving both Stone Memorial and Cumberland County High School (CCHS).

Board members described chronic drainage and drainage-related sinkhole problems at SMHS that have made the track unrunnable and left the field vulnerable to weather. One board member said previous remedial efforts—citing a 2019 project elsewhere involving reconstructed soil, pipe installation and turf—had improved conditions at a different campus but that SMHS now requires comprehensive work.

Superintendent and staff described earlier estimates and one formal quote from Baseline Sports Construction; an estimate mentioned in conversation put the cost for six courts at $500,000–$600,000. Board members discussed pursuing a joint community facility so both CCHS and Stone Memorial could use a shared tennis complex; staff indicated they would reach out to the city and county mayors about potential partnerships and report back. The board asked staff to pursue site feasibility (soil tests, locations) and partnership discussions.

On the track and field, the board approved a motion to send the SMHS track and field project to formal bid and requested bids be returned for board review by the March board meeting. A staff member noted that a formal county bid process and architectural design typically require about six weeks, and the board clarified it wanted formal bids rather than informal quotes given the probable project size and procurement rules.

Board members also discussed immediate safety concerns raised by athletic staff and boosters and the number of community participants who use the facility (middle school teams, youth organizations, and others). The board instructed staff to obtain bids for the SMHS track/field project and to collect information on joint tennis-court options; staff said they would contact local mayors and report back at the next work session.

The meeting record does not include a contract award or funding source decision for the projects; board members noted that any expenditure would affect the district fund balance and that the district’s current estimated fund balance would be affected by large capital projects.