Track, Tennis Courts Construction Set to Begin in June

Students at the High School will see significant improvement to the sports facilities when they return for the 2012 Fall Semester.

The High School Fields Project was approved by residents at a lengthy Town Meeting in October and this past week Edward Schreier, Chair of the Ad Hoc High School Fields Committee said the long-awaited replacement of the track and repair of the tennis courts will begin in June.

According to Schreier, a contract with a dedicated sports construction firm for the project is currently under review.

“The projects that will be done when school is over are the tennis courts, the track and the football field regrading," said Schreier. “They’re ready to go.”

At the Special Town Meeting in October, School Committee was allocated $600,000 for the initial stage of a larger project that is intended to eventually add an all-purpose surface to the sports facilities at the High School.

However the cost to the town could be lower if the Committee is successful in obtaining a grant from the US Tennis Association to resurface the courts. 

“We chose not to rebuild them for $300,000 but we’re going to repair them to the tune of $60,000” Schrier said. “ The more money that we can save the town, if we can give some money back, then that is a feather in our cap.”

If the application to the US Tennis Association is successful, then the committee could receive up to 20 percent of the cost of tennis court repair but the work will go ahead in the summer irrespective of any possible grants. 

Work will also begin on the track replacement and regrading of the football field, which has a 30-36 inch north to south incline.