LM School district Talks about the need for more sports Fields

While writing my first two articles about saving Oakwell, some people told me off the record negative things about the Lower Merion School District (LMSD). I decided to reach out to the LMSD in order to get their side of the Oakwell story. I contacted Amy Buckman, the LMSD’s Director of School & Community Relations.

Because she preferred to be interviewed by email, I sent her several questions. She quickly responded to all of them. What follows is a Q and A between Amy and me.

DB: Tell me the costs and the benefits of these 2 accessory fields. (The LMSD plans to build two athletic fields on the Oakwell property.)

AB: The fields were acquired for approximately $12.9 million. The final cost of the land development project is only an estimate until final plans are approved. That current estimate for completion of the land development process is an $9.1 million. The field site plan calls for one baseball field and one softball field as overlays to two multi-purpose full-size fields (soccer, hockey, lacrosse) and two half-size multi-purpose practice fields. These are needed so that students at Black Rock Middle School can participate in the full complement of middle school sports offered at the District’s two other middle schools and at middle schools across the Central Athletic League.

DB: Is there a need for these fields?

AB: Yes. Currently, all secondary schools in the District have teams that must be bused off-site to practice or compete. The Lower Merion Township Comprehensive Plan cited a need for additional playing fields to accommodate the needs of schools and leagues in the community. Black Rock Middle School’s site at 1860 Montgomery is a big hill, which doesn’t have sufficient acreage for fields for all of the PIAA sports in which 7th and 8th graders participate.

DB: There are already sports fields, tennis courts football field, track field, why do you need more?

AB: Black Rock Middle School does not have a football field. It has one multipurpose field, surrounded by a track, that can be used for football, field hockey, boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse and ultimate Frisbee. All of these are sports played by 7th and 8th graders across the District and the Central Athletic League. Multiple teams cannot practice or compete simultaneously on the same field, and the hours that the field can be used are limited because the field (like all middle school fields in LMSD) does not have lights. That is why more than the one field on the BRMS site is necessary.

DB: Has the school district ever done a study about whether or not these additional fields are truly needed? If the answer is yes, when do the school district do the study? Who did the study? Was it ELA Sport?

AB: Each year, the Athletic and Activities Directors at LMSD’s secondary schools review field usage. As stated above, at this time, all secondary schools have teams that must be bussed offsite to practice or compete due to a lack of adequate field space. Some use space at other LMSD schools, others use space at Township parks. The parks are also used by leagues and non-public schools. The Township has a stated need for additional athletic fields in its comprehensive plan.

DB: I heard that LMSD built a football field but the Black Rock Middle School does not have a football team. - why?

AB: See my answers listed above.. BRMS does not have a football field. At this time, the middle schools have combined football teams. Interest in various sports and other activities waxes and wanes over time and can change from year to year. Case in point, the LMHS football team had more players this year than it had in many past years. Despite the ups and downs in interest in a specific sport or activity in a specific year, it remains the goal of the School District to offer a full range of extracurricular options to all students. In some years, teams (or other activities such as robotics) may be combined, in other years, each school may have ample participants to field its own team/club/ensemble.

DB: Are club sports causing a decline in high school sports participation? Is there a shift, students for the most part aren’t playing three sports anymore, but just specializing in one sport?

AB: Approximately 50% of LMHS (Lower Merion High School) and HHS (Harriton High School) students participate in athletics. Many of those student athletes participate in two or three different sports, and many other activities, such as performance ensembles, service organizations, STEM extracurricular, newspaper, student government, etc. Again, the goal of the District is to provide a full range of extracurricular options so that each student can explore their passions, develop a sense of belonging, be emotionally and physically healthy, and feel successful.

DB: Can you give us the latest cost of Blackrock Middle School?

AB: As presented at the most recent Facilities and Purchasing Committee Meeting of the Lower Merion Board of School Directors, the current construction cost for Black Rock Middle School is $105,532,105

DB: What would you like to say to those protesters? Do you think that their continued protests hurt their cause more than help it? Either way, tell me why.

AB: The Lower Merion Board of School Directors believes that all citizens have a right to express their points of view on issues of interest to them and welcomes public comment at all meetings and via their email address, communitycomments@lmsd.org<mailto:communitycomments@lmsd.org>.

DB: Thank you for answering these questions.