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Lewis Central board reviews multimillion-dollar facilities plan and potential donor-backed athletic addition
Summary
Board reviewed bond-funded renovations and a concept for a multipurpose athletic addition (wrestling/turf/locker rooms). Superintendent said a private individual has verbally offered to underwrite a substantial portion—potentially about half—of the addition; no formal vote was taken.
The Lewis Central Community School District board on Dec. 1 reviewed bond-funded renovations and preliminary plans for an addition to the district’s Activity (Athletic) Building that would create year-round wrestling space, larger locker rooms and a multipurpose turfed area.
During the superintendent’s presentation, board members were shown a concept for an approximately 70-by-120-foot addition adjacent to the athletic building. The renovation of the existing Activity Building remains in the bond scope (the superintendent said roughly $1,000,000 was earmarked in the bond for renovation of the current building); the proposed addition would add about $1,000,000–$1,100,000 in extra cost if pursued.
The superintendent said that, rather than spending an estimated $2,000,000 to build a standalone three-mat wrestling facility at the high school, the district explored an alternative that would place wrestling space and a turfed multipurpose area in a single addition at substantially lower net cost and with broader uses for soccer, baseball, softball and general athletic training. The plan would allow wrestling mats to be rolled out for the season and stored the remainder of the year so the space serves multiple teams.
The presentation noted other bond-funded projects the district is tracking, including Titan Hill exterior-envelope work, LED lighting at middle and high schools and middle-school renovations estimated at $7.65 million; a separate estimate of roughly $2.5 million was cited for a middle-school parking lot project. The superintendent emphasized the district is currently about $3 million under budget overall on the project list, which creates an opportunity to consider additional work.
A key development discussed was a verbal pledge from an individual the superintendent said has indicated a willingness to contribute a “substantial donation” that could cover roughly 50% of the addition’s cost. The superintendent framed that as a potential path to fund an addition without using bond funds for the extra space and said the board would later need to discuss naming-rights expectations if a large donation is formally offered. No formal donor agreement had been presented to the board and no vote on the addition or naming was taken.
Board members asked detailed logistical questions about access and circulation, separation of visiting and home-team circulation during events, and the plan for relocating entrances and retaining walls to maintain separation between teams. The superintendent said the renovation of the existing building will proceed within bond limits regardless; an addition would move forward only if additional funding is secured.
The district said design and bid timelines are tight if the addition is to be available for next fall; construction planning would need decisions in the coming weeks to meet a February ground-breaking timetable. The board asked for additional drawings and cost details before any formal action.
The superintendent characterized the idea as a way to protect investment in the middle school and make the athletics infrastructure more multiuse, and he asked board members to provide early feedback rather than a vote tonight.
