Facility Project Update

Greetings,

It is an exciting time in the Northeastern Local School District (NELSD) community. We are excited to have our students back in the classroom. Staff members are back (some worked seemingly all summer) working hard with the expectation of having a very successful school year. I am continuing to meet new people and trying to get acclimated to everything that is NELSD.

Being new to NELSD has been both highly rewarding and challenging thus far. Working on our facility projects and getting up to speed has been a priority these last few weeks. I am writing to give you some information and updates regarding our athletic facility projects. These upgrades are obviously high-visibility projects and important for the use and success of our students and many programs. Our goals are to be transparent, be good stewards of our taxpayer funds, and dispel some of the rumors and inaccurate information that are sometimes associated with projects of this size and magnitude. Of course, information or conditions can change as projects evolve, which is certainly the case with these projects. This information is how things stand today but is subject to change. Finally, I think an important part of being accountable to our community is to share the reasons that have hindered these projects from being done in a more timely and efficient fashion.

These reasons include but are not limited to:

1. A change in district leadership created a void for a short period of time. This seemed to have greatly impacted the lines of communication and the sharing of information.
2. Water issues for watering fields and growing grass. Some of these are noted in the updates below.
3. Broken drain tiles from previous projects delayed the sod being on the stadium field at Kenton Ridge earlier in June.
4. One of our contractors had a medical issue that impacted the work schedule.
5. We are asking that some work be redone in order to meet previously agreed-upon expectations.

Here are some updates to current projects:

Kenton Ridge Practice Fields:

• Field #1 (Top Soccer Field) – Continued water and “grow-in” schedule. CONTINUING
• Fields #2 (Football Practice/Band Fields) – Sand/dirt issues clogging from the well have hampered this project. The week of 8/12, a new well was drilled with pump placement and hook-up completed. We now have clean water in the new 400’ well, but the output is lower than the previous well. For now, this may be an issue of going back and cleaning out the sprinkler heads and lines. There will also be a major cleanup from the sludge and dirt from digging another well.
  • Working to demo old “H” goalposts and install the stadium goalposts from the stadium on the football practice field.

Kenton Ridge Stadium:

Punch List to GAMEDAY: On course to play on the new grass on September 13. A word of caution: if the weather that week turns sour with a lot of rain, we will consider moving the game to avoid the long-term effects of destroying our new field investment. Current weather conditions would be perfect!

• Continuing to patch or fill any low spots or seams.
• New goalposts are being shipped and hopefully installed the week of August 26th.
• Rolling and Mowing: the field was rolled on 8/14 and mowed on 8/15.
• Please note that access to the game field is strictly prohibited until it is officially ready for use. No one, including pets, is allowed on the game field during this time. Please stay on the track or other areas if you are visiting. This will help keep it in great shape for everyone.
• Continue maintenance schedule.
• Entrance and Stadium Exterior: Continuing cleanup.
• Remediation and cleanup work will continue to take place by the baseball fields, around the tennis courts, and practice fields.

Northeastern Athletic Complex (Bowman Rd):

• Rebid the field house locker room project.
• The scope of the project has changed and we believe the cost can be reduced from the bid price.
• Discussing a plan for more grading and future use.
• Sufficient well output is a source of concern for the lower proposed practice fields.
• Grow-in Maintenance and Water: Grow-in continues, and weeds are being treated. The game plan is to control weeds annually and continue the promotion of germination. Overseeding/topdressing/and or “re-till/re-grade the "wash areas” are still on the table.
• We, as a team (Athletic Directors and others must be part of this conversation), are considering some changes to the original plan. Now that the old NE school has been demolished, the excavators are filling in with several tons of soil. They will also plant grass. There is now a huge new space to consider, and we have a very solid water source there, so we may have some different options than previously considered.
• Looking for a way to assist youth programs with space.
• Please do not park in the transportation lot at the Northeastern Athletic Complex during events. These spaces are reserved for our buses and bus drivers who are transporting students to various events daily, including weekends.

Northeastern HS (South Vienna):

• Scope review with the team. Some original plans may change based on a final product at the previous NE site (Bowman Rd).
• Finding a way to keep some teams at this site instead of traveling is a consideration.

Please call me personally or reach out by email if you have questions or concerns regarding these projects or other district topics. Also, don't forget to check out the NELSD Economic Fact Sheet for important information about our district.

Respectfully,

Jack Fisher
Superintendent
Northeastern Local School District