Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Equal schools period

Here is what has frosted me for years now. The OFSC does allow for one football/track facility at each High School and at each Junior High School. In 2005 when the school administration was developing their master plan and the 10 year facilities plan the football/track field at Central was NEVER considered.

I think what most of us would like at Central is an adequate facility up near the High School. In 2005, the school board refurbed the Tiger Stadium. I believe they spent over one million and basically did a half a-- job. For a few hundred thousand more they could have put in the regulation track and added enough visitor bleachers to accommodate the larger crowds. They chose to put in the 7/8 of a track and not touch the visitor's bleachers. Now we find ourselves in the situation of not enough seating so people naturally stand along the alley and the parking lot to watch the game.

Before I make that appointment to talk with the superintendent I will call some of the leading candidates for school board (excluding Reade and Brink) and lobby them for the improvements to Central. I know Brink and Reade have been dead set against the idea of improving Tiger Stadium.

I think it is about time that the central parents get what they pay for and that is not to pay for North's facilities while our kids get the hand me downs.

Can't spend money.....

Unlike many companies the PLSD can't spend money it doesn't have.

Didn't the last Board get in trouble by promising interest monies from the North/Lakeview project for Central? If I remember correctly it was projected to be around $6.0M & turned out to be about a third with the market correction all of us went through.

I like the idea of getting a stadium for Central but realistically you can't spend money you don't have - no matter how much you want to.

The last thing I'd do if I were them would be to promise ''again'' with future monies that may or may not materialize.

No one addressed the question of where - the Master Plan does include academic additions to both current high schools. Maybe the first question should be is there land for sale around Central that could be purchased for the Central Stadium?

By Wondering too

My two cents

I wanted to add my two cents to this discussion.

My husband and I took our daughter to the Central football game Friday night. It was the first Pickerington football game we had attended. We figured our daughter would have fun. She did.

What stood out before we even entered the stadium was the crowd. There was clearly no place left to sit in the bleachers, and there seemed to be at least as many people standing inside the stadium as there were sitting. There were a few people sitting on the hill, and we didn't notice the netting that had been placed to obstruct the view of these people, as there were other things to notice.

We laughed as we approached the stadium because the announcer instructed the crowd that no loitering was permitted, and to return to their seats promptly after going to the concession stand. Clearly, it was a rule that couldn't be enforced. Either the school should drop the rule, or stop selling tickets after the seating capacity is reached.

Putting up netting so peole don't gather on the hill may be a safety issue - it would take more police officers to patrol crowds both inside and outside the stadium. As we were leaving after halftime we saw someone being arrested in the parking lot. When you have that many teenagers together on a Friday night and emotions are running high, things are sure to happen.

I don't have any answers, and it's been brought up in this discussion that there's no money to put into the stadium.

The way the bond issue for North was written didn't allow for any leftover funds to go to any other schools. It was a mistake, to be sure, but they can't undo the past.

The board made sure the bond issue for the new elementary and middle schools allowed for more flexibility. They also made sure to write the bond issue for the lowest dollar amount for the three news schools they could, so there probably won't be any leftover funds.

The treasurer who helped with North's bond language is no longer with the school district, and Vince Utterback, the treasurer who replaced him, is excellent.

Here's a thought - is it possible for Central and North to share North's stadium, scheduling games so that when one team plays at home the other team plays away? I don't know if North's stadium is being used when the team plays away or not - I just thought I'd throw the idea out there.

NO!

The Tiger athletes (especially the football team) have no desire what so ever of ''sharing'' the stadium at the Taj Mahal.

You need to realize that these kids are not stupid. They know that they have been screwed over by the school board for sinking a boat-load of cash into North and then doing a half baked job at Central. There is a great deal of anomosity between these two student bodies and sharing one facility will only make matters worse. The Tigers have the tradition and a winning spirit that drives their loyalty to Tiger Stadium. The day that facility is torn down or (fingers crossed) a new facility is built for Central, you will see many a Tiger cry.

Besides, how long do anyone think that the turf at North will hold up with constant usage by two schools. Another alternative needs to be reached.

By Central Mom