St. Marys stadium project cost rolled back to $3 million

ST. MARYS - Plans to build a new football stadium at the high/middle schools campus are gaining momentum as school board members on Wednesday learned the original $6 million price tag has been pared back to about $3 million.

Dan Burke, secretary/treasurer of the St. Marys Philanthropic Association - the organization charged with raising funds for the project - told members the group now has a timetable established for the facility.

"We are looking at playing Sidney out here at the beginning of the 2018 football season," he announced.

"The objective right now is to get the necessities out there," he continued. "We need stands. We need restrooms. We need concessions. We need ticket booths, because that's where the games need to be."

Cutting back to just the necessities for now has allowed the 50 percent reduction in cost, he noted.

No board action was requested. The association is handling the private-donation campaign with the goal of not using any district funds. Burke said J. Matthew Hughes of JMH Development, Cincinnati, has been hired to spearhead the campaign.

"The group is totally focused on raising funds to get that stadium out here all season," Burke said. "We all understand tradition. We know how important tradition is in this town when it comes to football. (None of that will be lost) except the location of where the games are going to be played."

Burke said this morning that the association has raised about $800,000 of the $3 million goal.

In other business, interim superintendent Howard Overman said many teachers have been working in their buildings over the past few days to prepare for the new school year, which begins Aug. 22. All are expected to attend a general staff meeting on Aug. 18 and a professional development training session on Aug. 21.

Also on Wednesday, members,

• approved the resignations of sixth-grade teacher Carrie Braun, Holy Rosary Catholic School intervention specialist Sarah VanTilburg, primary school cook Julie James and paraprofessional Nan Ruane.

• approved the list of volunteers and substitute teachers for the new school year.

• set Sept. 5 to tour district facilities and look at recent improvements.

• approved Karen Newlove, April Johns, Mary Miller, Cary Roehm, Mary Topp and Renee Caywood as members of the licensing committee.

• approved overnight field trips for FFA members to the national FFA convention in Indianapolis, Indiana, from Oct. 25-28, and to state FFA convention in Columbus, May 3-4.

• approved contracts with Auglaize County Educational Service Center for the 2017-2018 school year for curriculum, principals' meetings and an occupational therapist, physical therapist and speech therapist.

• approved the 2016-2017 cafeteria profit/loss statement showing a balance of $645,927.

• approved 2017-2018 bus routes and authorized necessary changes through the school year.

• approved the parental involvement policy as a Title I requirement.

• approved a comprehensive instructional services agreement for non-community schools with Auglaize County Educational Academy for the fiscal year 2018.

• accepted a $500 donation from Midwest Electric for the second-grade Chromebook program.

• approved a revised gifted education and identification policy.