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College Station ISD weighs closing newly renovated middle-school tracks after repeated damage
Summary
Following two weeks of public access to recently completed middle-school athletic facilities, district staff reported recurring damage from dirt bikes, dogs and golf-ball chipping and presented options including curfews, turnstiles and rental-only access for trustees to consider.
College Station Independent School District staff told trustees on Sept. 16 that newly completed middle-school athletic facilities have suffered repeated damage in the first two weeks they were open to the public. Speaker 2, the district construction presenter, said the middle-school projects are effectively complete but that ‘‘we are already experiencing a lot of damage’’ including dirt bikes on tracks, bent gates and turf soiled by dogs and golf balls.
Trustees and staff discussed short-term and technical fixes and longer-term policy choices. Speaker 2 said he had already closed access at AMCMS ‘‘because of what the college kids were doing’’ and asked the board to consider restricting access districtwide; several trustees suggested posting stronger signage, locking gates at a set curfew tied to the city parks curfew, and installing barriers that allow pedestrians but block dirt bikes.
Board members emphasized the financial and warranty risks of leaving facilities open. Speaker 5 told the board that early damage has already cost ‘‘6 to 7, 6 to $8,000’’ in repairs in about two weeks and that continued exposure could threaten product warranties. The presenter said cameras and lighting are being added but current camera angles sometimes prevent reliable identification of perpetrators.
No formal policy change was approved at the workshop. Speaker 2 said staff will gather more data, continue installing cameras and lighting, and return with a deeper analysis next month. Trustee discussion included the option of restricting access to outside teams unless they rent facilities, using a curfew/locking schedule to limit hours of public use, and looking at physical barriers (turnstiles or specially designed gates) that balance pedestrian access and security.
Next steps: staff will monitor incidents, complete camera and lighting upgrades and present options and cost estimates for trustees to act on at a subsequent meeting.
