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Bethany Public Schools board reviews STEM addition and broad athletic-facility overhaul
Summary
District leaders presented a proposal to add roughly 2,500 sq ft for STEM classrooms and pursue major athletic upgrades — including a 7-lane 400m track, synthetic turf fields, expanded bleachers and renovated locker rooms — and said cost estimates and phasing will determine what moves forward first.
Board members at Bethany Public Schools on an evening agenda heard an in-depth facilities presentation laying out plans to expand the district's STEM building and to make broad athletic-facility upgrades.
Presenters said the STEM expansion would add about 2,500 square feet of new space, including roughly 1,500 square feet earmarked for aviation, e-sports and computer labs and an alternative-education classroom. The proposal also includes roughly 20 new parking spaces and reuse of campus footprint to create flexible instructional areas.
The athletic proposal covers multiple sports: installing synthetic turf for football and soccer, resurfacing portions of baseball and softball infields, expanding home bleachers and adding a visitor bleacher section, renovating and enlarging locker rooms, upgrading press-box and concession areas, and improving campus wayfinding and branding. Designers described plans to realign the track so the facility can accommodate a 400-meter layout with seven lanes and an eight-lane straight. Presenters told the board they worked with Bethany and SMU coaches to set lane-width requirements and settled on a 42-inch lane standard to fit the site constraints.
Board members repeatedly raised survey and easement concerns on the east side of the property, where a city water-treatment fence sits within a few feet of the proposed track alignment. Presenters said a final, formal survey has not been completed and that the City of Bethany currently leases the property to Bethany Public Schools, which subleases a portion to SNU; they said the fence has functioned as the practical dividing line but acknowledged the need to verify legal boundaries before construction.
Several practical questions followed: whether the plan includes public restrooms (presenters confirmed new restrooms with gated visitor access), how ticketing and covered collection points might work for events, and whether the design can be phased to prioritize locker rooms and essential safety items over cosmetic upgrades. Presenters recommended producing 3D renderings, phased cost estimates and a multi-year modular schedule so the board can prioritize work when budget numbers are available.
The presentation did not include final cost figures; presenters said phasing and exact budgets will be brought back after design development and cost estimating. The board asked staff to return with priorities and cost scenarios so members can weigh facility needs against the district's available building and general-fund resources.
