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Kenston Local reports $1.54 million in PI projects; boosters highlight weight‑room refresh
Summary
Superintendent reviewed completed and ongoing permanent‑improvement projects funded by the PI levy — including auditorium lighting, a track resurfacing and a renovated weight room — and the athletic boosters described scholarships, senior banners and travel support.
The Kenston Local School District board received an update Sept. 15 on projects funded through the district’s permanent‑improvement (PI) levy, with administrators and community partners describing completed work, costs and the next planning steps.
Superintendent Dr. Willingham summarized PI work completed this year and said the district’s final spending came in at about $1.54 million. He listed completed projects that included restroom dividers, a Timmins playground, speed bumps installed through student project‑based learning, a stage/floor refinishing and the first phase of auditorium lighting upgrades. Balmer Stadium’s track was resurfaced rather than fully replaced, a move administrators said will extend the track’s useful life by two to three years while the district saves toward a full replacement.
"We were lucky enough to have our community support us with our permanent‑improvement levy," Dr. Willingham said, describing a transparent planning process and a schedule that begins vendor work after letters of intent and bidding. He said PI funds are scheduled to be released on July 1, 2026, for some planned projects and that the district is starting planning earlier this year to smooth the vendor and scheduling process.
Superintendent and staff identified the Timmins playground as constructed from PI funds at an approximate cost of $306,000, and said one remaining PI deliverable is the pole‑vault garage for padding storage. Facilities lead Dave Parker was repeatedly thanked for designing and advancing multiple projects with district staff and community partners.
Earlier in the meeting, Jeff Laiczek, co‑president of the Kenston Athletic Boosters, outlined the boosters’ mission to promote Kenston athletics and listed activities the boosters finance: free student admission to most home events, senior banners in the hallways and stadium, scholarships with an athletics theme, equipment requests, Huddle software licenses and travel support for teams that advance to state tournaments. Laiczek highlighted a renovated weight room that booster and community partners helped refresh.
Administrators also noted an upcoming change in state reporting that alters five‑year forecast timing (new report date Oct. 15); the board said it will present a forecast update to the public at the October meeting.
Board members approved multiple consent and personnel items during the same meeting; no formal vote was taken at this session on the PI plan itself beyond updates and continued planning.
