Residents and students urge Guilford board to fund weight-room staffing and upgrades

The Guilford Board of Education's Operations Committee heard multiple public comments asking the district to invest in staffing and improvements for the high school weight room as it begins developing the 2025—6 budget.

Nate Jacobson, a Guilford parent, told the committee the weight room is the only part of the Guilford High School campus that has not been renovated and asked administrators to "strongly consider an investment in the fitness center" and to use existing capital A&E funds this year to pay for a feasibility study or engineering estimate rather than waiting years for a full renovation.

Student speakers described how limited supervision has reduced access and mentorship. Michael Lton, a junior and team captain, said the loss of regular supervised time in the weight room prevented captains from building relationships with underclassmen and called for staffing to restore both access and leadership development.

Jonah Labadia-Cologne, a senior and captain of the wrestling and lacrosse teams, said the facility's condition and overcrowding (he estimated roughly 40 students at times) limit opportunities for younger athletes and urged the board to plan upgrades so future students can benefit.

Several commenters linked athletics funding to equity concerns. A student who spoke about gender equity said girls often lacked supervised, cost-free access to the weight room and that off-season training sometimes required families to pay out of pocket, creating barriers to participation.

The chair of the meeting reminded the public that the district is at the start of the budget process; the committee did not take any formal action on facilities at the meeting.

The committee adjourned at the end of the public-comment period.