AUBURN - The Auburn Enlarged City School District is $11,000 closer to funding the installation of synthetic turf at Holland Stadium.
On Tuesday, representatives from the Auburn High School Sports Booster Club and high school Music Booster Club presented the board of education with checks for $10,000 and $1,000, respectively, earmarked for turf to help relieve the taxpayers of some of the local share.
“Our anticipation is that this money will jumpstart the successful local efforts to finance the installation of an all-weather synthetic turf surface at Holland Stadium,” said Tim Button, a member of the board of directors for the sports boosters.
Ted Connor and Carol Ann DiFabio donated money on behalf of the music booster club.
The board is proposing a near $15.7 million project dealing with school infrastructure, energy efficiency and technology as well as renovations at Holland Stadium, including the installation of synthetic turf.
Members are considering a vote on June 26, separating the capital project from the general budget vote and school board elections on May 20.
In sessions with the Long Range Planning Committee, Superintendent Joseph D. “J.D.” Pabis said he is seeking donations from foundations, organizations, individuals and representatives from the state government to cover the local share for the installation of turf, estimated at $170,000.
“We felt that it would behoove us to see if the local community would not only support it verbally, but also financially,” Pabis said.
“We would like to move forward with the understanding that we could achieve our goal, that there would be no local impact regarding an artificial or synthetic surface at Holland Stadium,” he later added. “Keeping in mind that the voters still have the final say, we will keep the checks in our business office under the watchful eye of Marianne O'Connor. They will not be cashed until we have taken a vote on this project.”
Should the capital project be rejected by voters, the money will be returned to the respective organizations and individuals, he said.
In other news:
* Pabis presented to the board a brief overview on efforts to reconfigure the district's elementary schools to provide “maximum utilization of facilities.”
Pabis has said in earlier presentations that there are inequities in enrollment in several of the schools, notably in Herman Avenue Elementary and Genesee Street elementary schools with some overcrowding.
Among the changes proposed is making Genesee Elementary - a school tight on physical space - solely a walking school with enrolled students walking three-quarters of a mile to the facility. The walking limit is one mile.
The district will host a meeting with the parents affected by any school changes on March 19.
* The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. March 25 in the Auburn High School Library.
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
“Our anticipation is that this money will jumpstart the successful local efforts to finance the installation of an all-weather synthetic turf surface at Holland Stadium,” said Tim Button, a member of the board of directors for the sports boosters.
Ted Connor and Carol Ann DiFabio donated money on behalf of the music booster club.
The board is proposing a near $15.7 million project dealing with school infrastructure, energy efficiency and technology as well as renovations at Holland Stadium, including the installation of synthetic turf.
Members are considering a vote on June 26, separating the capital project from the general budget vote and school board elections on May 20.
In sessions with the Long Range Planning Committee, Superintendent Joseph D. “J.D.” Pabis said he is seeking donations from foundations, organizations, individuals and representatives from the state government to cover the local share for the installation of turf, estimated at $170,000.
“We felt that it would behoove us to see if the local community would not only support it verbally, but also financially,” Pabis said.
“We would like to move forward with the understanding that we could achieve our goal, that there would be no local impact regarding an artificial or synthetic surface at Holland Stadium,” he later added. “Keeping in mind that the voters still have the final say, we will keep the checks in our business office under the watchful eye of Marianne O'Connor. They will not be cashed until we have taken a vote on this project.”
Should the capital project be rejected by voters, the money will be returned to the respective organizations and individuals, he said.
In other news:
* Pabis presented to the board a brief overview on efforts to reconfigure the district's elementary schools to provide “maximum utilization of facilities.”
Pabis has said in earlier presentations that there are inequities in enrollment in several of the schools, notably in Herman Avenue Elementary and Genesee Street elementary schools with some overcrowding.
Among the changes proposed is making Genesee Elementary - a school tight on physical space - solely a walking school with enrolled students walking three-quarters of a mile to the facility. The walking limit is one mile.
The district will host a meeting with the parents affected by any school changes on March 19.
* The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. March 25 in the Auburn High School Library.
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
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