FORTVILLE — Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation plans to secure $2 million to replace its fractured high school tennis courts and make technology and energy efficiency upgrades throughout the district.
Derek Shelton, director of operations for the school corporation, said the ground underneath the high school’s tennis courts has caused significant shifting and cracking on their surfaces. The school’s 12 tennis courts are about 11 years old, he added.
Chris Smedley, the corporation’s chief financial officer who will become assistant superintendent next month, said the part of the school grounds with 10 tennis courts will be replaced with 12 new ones. The space with two courts will be replaced with courts for pickleball, a tennis-like game played with paddles and a Wiffle Ball.
Kellie Freeman, Tony May and Shannon Walls — the trustees present at the school board’s June 17 meeting — voted unanimously to accept Westfield-based Ace Paving’s $715,250 bid for the project.
Shelton said work will begin soon and is expected to be completed by the end of September.
“We didn’t want to rush through it just to get it done in August. We wanted to make sure it was done right, so 10 years from now we’re not back here with the same problem that we’ve had before,” he said.
While the anticipated finish date crosses into boys tennis season, Shelton said the team will adapt by playing at other courts.
The school corporation will issue bonds not to exceed $2 million to fund the project. Smedley said it will have little impact on the school district’s tax rate because the bond issue will commence as an existing debt obligation is fulfilled.
The remaining funds from the upcoming $2 million bond issue outside of the tennis court replacements will be used to back technology and energy efficiency upgrades. Smedley said those improvements will include replacing outdated computers for teachers and in student labs, installing additional security cameras at corporation schools, converting light fixtures to more energy-efficient LEDs and updating heating and cooling systems with temperature controls.
