Sesser-Valier board OKs up-to-$550,000 main-gym remodel, authorizes superintendent to hire contractors

The Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District No. 196 Board of Education on Oct. 14 approved a not-to-exceed $550,000 budget for a high school gym remodel and authorized Superintendent J. Henry to engage contractors and subcontractors without further board action. The motion, made by Trustee Packer and seconded by Trustee Lance, passed by roll call vote with six yeas and zero nays.

Superintendent Henry told the board the project team is gathering pricing and bleacher/seat-configuration information, including whether a behind-the-bench walkway on the visitor side can be preserved and how front-row chair-seat decking would be configured. The minutes record current seating at 450 on the home side (350 bleacher seats plus 100 chair seats) and 432 on the visitor side; proposed new configurations range from about 391 to 447 seats on the home side and approximately 320 seats on the visitor side. The district currently sells 77 reserved chair seats and 26 reserved bleacher seats.

Henry also showed photos and videos of similar projects and said the team is considering an aluminum-decking option for bleachers, which the materials noted as an approximate $77,000 up-charge, as well as replacing six basketball goal systems and doors at both ends of the gym. The board’s authorization reserves project funds and gives the superintendent authority to retain contractors within the approved budget.

The board voted 6–0 on the motion (Yeas: Garner, Kelly, Kirk, Lance, Packer, Dilliner). No public comment or amendment to the funding cap was recorded at the meeting.

Next steps: project pricing and bleacher configuration details will be finalized by the district team and brought forward to the superintendent for contractor engagement under the approved budget.