Work began on June 3 to demolish the east side of the stadium at L. Z. Hurley Memorial Field on Boyd Avenue, home of the Haywood High School Tomcats. D. C. Construction, the lowest bidding contractor on the project, will pour a new slab and build dressing rooms located next to new bleachers that will be installed in mid-August, a week before the first Tomcat football game.

When school board members met in a called session Monday night, June 2, they addressed selecting an interim director, talked about preliminary budget figures, and approved additional funds for replacing the bleachers and performing renovation work at the stadium.

First on the short agenda at the called meeting was the L. Z. Hurley Memorial Stadium project. According to Director of Schools George Chapman, the cost of replacing the east bleachers and building dressing rooms exceeds the original estimate of $500,000 he received earlier in the spring. The lowest bid to demolish the existing east side of the stadium, pour a slab for the bleachers and build dressing rooms was $425,000, submitted by D. C. Construction. The cost of the bleachers is $185,300, giving the project a total cost of $610,300.

Director Chapman had gone to the County Budget Committee several months ago and asked for $500,000 to do the renovation on the stadium, because of its condition and the liability, and they granted that request. But since the cost will exceed that amount, Director Chapman asked the board to approve taking $110,300 out of the school’s fund balance to complete the project. The total in the fund balance account is “right at” $2 million dollars, according to Chapman. The board approved his request.

He reported that the county has had prisoners at the stadium removing the existing metal stands, and added that D. C. Construction will start on the rest of the project immediately, since the board agreed to allot the funds.

The company installing the bleachers guaranteed they would be in place by August 22, a week before the first Tomcat football game.

Budget

Next Chairman Patricia Gruenewald asked Director Chapman to report on the “state” of the budget. He reported that the state had finalized its budget, and that while the county will receive from the state what it did last year, there will be no additional funds for new programs or initiatives or for raises. Chapman said that the negotiations committee will begin meeting with teacher representatives next week.

Director Chapman also said that Chairman Gruenewald had received a letter from Mayor Banks saying that he would no longer pay for the schools SRO officers, so that the school would have to absorb that cost of about $90,000 next school year. Mrs. Gruenewald and Director Chapman said there were other challenges with the budget, but they would be working through them in the next few weeks. You will remember that Director Chapman is retiring, and June 13 is his last day.

Interim Director

In response to Chapman’s retirement notice, the board addressed the issue of appointing an interim director – but they didn’t appoint one. Mrs. Gruenewald asked board members to allow her to appoint a committee to talk to those interested in the position in the next week and present a list of recommendations to the entire board at the June 10 regular meeting. They agreed, and she appointed Harold Garrett and Pearlie Hess to that committee.

Board members then agreed to hire the interim to serve until January 1, 2009, allow this person, if he or she is interested in the Director’s position, to be able to apply, and to pay this person on the same Director’s scale that Director Chapman is paid. He makes $91,000 annually. This salary is calculated based on experience, qualifications and level of education. Board members also agreed to assure the interim director, if that person is already in this system, to return to their former position if he or she is not given the director job.