Wellsboro explores permanent bleachers for visitor's side

WELLSBORO — Wellsboro Area School District will explore the costs for permanent bleachers for visitor seating in the Wellsboro High School stadium.

At the Nov. 10 work session preceding the meeting, superintendent Cheryl Sottolano reported that the Wellsboro Education Foundation voted to partner with the district for permanent bleachers. The Foundation will give 50%, or $119,000, of the cost for the bleachers if the district chips in the other half.

A portion of the cost is to engineer and prepare the ground for the bleachers, she said. The area will have to be brought up to grade or incorporate support for the bleachers, which would be ADA accessible. The bleachers would have a capacity for 210 people.

Board president Chris Gastrock noted that opponents have said that, once a band is seated, there is little room for spectators. The visitor’s bleachers was one of three items that were not included in the original stadium build, the other two being the food booth and bathrooms, he said. Both of those items have been completed.

Although no official vote could be taken at the work session, board members did support getting pricing on the project. That way, if the district does decide to proceed, the project can be completed before the next football season.

In a related matter, Rick Warren, director of maintenance, asked the board to consider prohibiting elementary sports teams from practicing on the newly-refurbished softball field. The field has seen damage this fall, which is causing the surface to erode.

Board members and staff said they believe the damage is caused by siblings of the players using the field for play. Instead, administrators suggested securing the field, posting signs and spreading the word among parents to keep children off the field.

Board members also raised safety concerns about scooters and bicycles being ridden around the stadium. Older adults who have mobility issues could be at risk, said board members. A board member reported seeing e-bikes traveling at a high rate of speed on high school grounds, creating another safety concern.

Auditorium lighting

The board also reviewed estimates to replace the lights in the auditorium, which are believed to have been installed in the late 1980s.

The estimate for the replacement, according to Ryan Griffen, director of technology, is $138,258. That is a reduction of about $17,000 from the original estimate, but could go higher due to asbestos covering in the existing light system.

The existing system operates on a 3 ½-inch floppy disc and getting replacement parts is becoming more difficult.

Board members indicated support for taking the next step, which includes a more precise estimate including asbestos remediation.

Wellsboro explores permanent bleachers for visitor's side

Comments