KCSD looking at upgrades to athletic facilities at secondary level schools

By John Lipez

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – The Keystone Central School District will be seeking prices for a feasibility study on upgrading  athletic facilities at Bucktail High School, Central Mountain High School and Central Mountain Middle School.

The school board’s curricular/co-curricular committee Tuesday night heard from district administrators about plans to, as district superintendent Jacquelyn Martin said, “Get our students the fields and facilities they deserve” at a responsible cost.

Much of the nearly two hour discussion centered on the status of the baseball fields currently utilized by the Central Mountain varsity and jayvee teams. The varsity plays and practices at Mill Hall Community Park and the jayvees practice and play at the American Legion Field in Beech Creek.

There was a consensus among board committee members a better option would be to bring those teams onto school district property, either at the high school or on district land to the south of the Central Mountain Middle School.

The committee was presented five options. They included a redesign of field layout at the CM high school; improvements to the Mill Hall Borough-owned Mill Hall Community Park Field; an approach to Lock Haven University to use the university field in Woodward Township; develop and utilize an excavated site beyond Malinak Stadium along Keystone Central Drive; and a redesign of the middle school layout.

District superintendent Martin said she believes the middle school location is the most viable, noting the acreage there is level, there is existing parking and a field house.

The school board members in attendance informally agreed to the administration proposal to get prices for a feasibility study; all indicating they would prefer that district fields of play be on district property.

There was also discussion on improvements coming to the Bucktail football, softball and baseball fields and the girls’ locker room there. Martin said some of the improvements at the secondary schools are included in the district’s 10-year plan; others are not.  She gave estimates on the costs involved, stating that some $800,000 is programmed for some of those improvements. With the additional upgrades discussed Tuesday night, she said the total cost might be in the $1.2 million range. She made a point to say the district has been coming in “under budget” for the last two fiscal years. It was noted grant money might be available for some of the work and the district could sell off the cleared out area beyond Malinak Stadium. That site was considered for a baseball field several years ago as it was excavated for fill used at an expansion at First Quality Tissue in Castanea Township.

Some of the upgrades discussed are to make some of the facilities at the schools compliant with PIAA and ADA requirements.