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Board hears athletics briefing as officials flag noncompliant bleachers, $1.5M–$2M upgrade estimate
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Summary
Keystone Central athletic leaders told the finance committee bleachers and stadium access at the Bucktail campus lack ADA-compliant routes and seats, raising liability concerns and a likely multi‑million‑dollar replacement; the committee also discussed participation trends, ticket-price and registration-fee options.
The Keystone Central finance committee on April 28 heard detailed athletics information showing some facilities are not ADA-compliant and that bringing bleachers and stadium access up to current standards could carry a large price tag.
An athletic director summarized participation and program costs for the district and said the bleachers at the Bucktail campus are “not ADA compliant” and that the facility lacks an ADA path from the parking lot. A facilities speaker added that the bleachers were compliant when installed but there is currently no accessible route to the home or away sides, forcing wheelchair users to traverse the grass.
When asked about replacement costs, an athletics staff member said a teardown and full ADA‑compliant replacement could be in the range of $1.5 million to $2.0 million. “So right now, yes, we carry the liability of if somebody gets hurt on bleachers that aren’t up to today’s code,” the facilities representative said.
Board members and staff discussed alternatives and revenue offsets. Participation numbers for football over the last 11 seasons were reported between about 18 and 25 players, and program costs for football plus band/cheer hovered in the low‑to‑mid‑$40,000 range in recent years. Board members raised fundraising and PTO support as options to offset smaller upgrades.
Administrators proposed modest revenue measures to help athletics: a $2 per‑ticket increase was included in comparative figures, and the board asked staff to gather a price‑comparison of neighboring districts’ ticket and registration fees. The committee gave administrators direction to pursue comparable data and community feedback; no formal fee increase was approved at the meeting.
Several board members and attendees also emphasized the local importance of athletics. “If you ever go to a Buffalo football game, the entire town pretty much can start,” one athletic staff member said, underscoring community support as the board weighs upgrades and possible revenue steps.
The athletics briefing ended with the board requesting further cost breakdowns and options for short‑ and long‑term facility choices; staff agreed to return with comparative ticketing data and potential revenue scenarios before any formal vote.
