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Board hears storm damage estimates up to ~$500,000 and possible $400,000 stadium light replacement
Summary
Superintendent reported March storm damage across Buckeye Local’s campus — roofing and bleacher damage, fencing, a removed ticket booth and two leaning stadium light poles; estimated immediate repair costs total several tens of thousands, while replacing stadium lights could approach $400,000; the district is coordinating claims with insurance.
Superintendent Mark Stanton updated trustees on storm damage the district sustained on March 13 and provided preliminary cost estimates for immediate repairs.
Stanton said crews removed and repaired a damaged I-beam on the softball scoreboard (work cost $27,183) so the scoreboard could return in time for the season; roofing at the elementary and maintenance buildings is estimated at just over $66,000; two sets of portable bleachers sustained significant damage (about $21,000); fencing around the football stadium and bus compound is estimated at roughly $97,600; demolition of a damaged ticket booth cost about $5,000.
He highlighted a larger concern: two of four football-stadium light poles are leaning and will likely need replacement. The board estimated that replacing two poles — and the district’s preferred option of replacing all four — could cost just under $400,000. Stanton said the district cannot yet say how much insurance will cover and that staff are working with the insurance carrier to determine adjustments and coverage.
Board members asked about insurance coverage and whether the district should budget for potential repairs if insurance does not cover all costs. The superintendent said staff and the operations director are working with the insurer and that final coverage determinations are pending; he also said teams had already taken emergency steps to address immediate safety risks (e.g., taking down a damaged ticket booth, removing an unsafe scoreboard).
Why it matters: The damage affects athletic facilities and operational assets and could require capital spending or transfers if insurance does not fully cover the costs. Trustees and staff noted the district’s tight budget context and the importance of maintaining reserve funds to avoid returning to voters sooner than planned.
What’s next: District staff will continue to work with insurance adjusters, report back to the board with coverage details and bring transfer or appropriation requests to the board if insurance recovery is insufficient to cover repairs.
