The USD 503 Board of Education was approached Monday regarding the former Washington School site being used to build a new indoor/outdoor tennis facility.
“I’ve always had a dream of an indoor facility in the community,” Chris Shultz told the board. Shultz’s family has a long history of involvement in tennis. He said he has been trying to garner community support for the idea. He started a Facebook page but has had little response except from family. He thinks if he could get the word out to more people, he would have greater support and his dream could become reality.
He expressed disappointment that the city of Parsons moved forward with resurfacing the tennis courts in Forest Park a year or so ago, without addressing the underlying problems. Shultz said, one of the courts is already unusable and others are in bad condition, eliminating Parsons from holding Southeast Kansas or regional tournaments here. He was told by the city there is no room for expansion of the courts in Forest Park, either.
His vision is to have an indoor facility with two tennis and pickle ball courts and eight outdoor courts. He said the city has offered to help, with setting up a fund through the Parsons Area Community Foundation and he believes he could get some work, such as dirt work and plumbing for the facility donated to cut costs.. To make construction feasible, there are several grants and funding opportunities from different sources, including the United States Tennis Association, Shultz said, adding he was told by the USTA there is considerable money available for indoor tennis facilities. He believes there are some famous, wealthy people who would also support the project in this rural area. He estimated the cost would be around $50,000 for each outdoor court. He thinks an indoor tennis facility can be built for under $5 million. Shultz has been in touch with two companies, Mid-American Courtworks and Multisports Build. He plans to show them the site and get their rough estimates. Shultz was encouraged by the district to include district maintenance personnel in those discussions as they know the land. Parking to serve the facilities was not mentioned.
Board president Jeff Quirin said a lot of the families deeply involved in tennis are now elderly or have moved away, so he is not sure the level of community interest. There weren’t enough PHS girls to make a tennis team, but Shultz said he thinks there is still community interest in a tennis facility. As well, Shultz said he thinks the district could increase student and community interest by incorporating tennis into the P.E. curriculum for ages K-8. To date, Shultz has not able to rally enough community members to create a board to oversee everything to do with the creation of such a facility, so asked the board if it could help him by serving as the board and help in fundraising by operating as a non-profit tennis association. He said the district could own and operate the tennis facility.
The board would not be able to commit to Shultz’s request, though he was told there may be a board member of two perhaps willing to volunteer to serve on Shultz’s board if he is able to form one. Board members commended Shultz for his idea to help the community and his hard work. However, Quirin wanted Shultz to know that, in his perspective, an indoor sports facility would have to be multipurpose for the board to be really interested in supporting it. In addition, Quirin said, the district already faces tremendous costs relative to maintenance, utilities and care taking of all the buildings it currently has. They are always dealing with roofs needing replaced, HVAC replacement, and many other repairs. The decision to encumber the extensive costs of a new building would have to be seriously weighed.
The district Is also not likely willing to sell the land. Superintendent Lori Ray said the school district is only 51-square-miles and is pretty much landlocked. There is not a lot of land available within the district’s boundaries to build, so the square block the district owns is an asset for any future building the district may need. Usage of the land must be carefully considered.
The board did not discount Shultz’s idea for a facility completely. He was invited to come back after he hears from the companies, and if he garner’s the community support he is seeking to form a board to commit to overseeing everything and to fundraising.
Ray said it took four or five years for the soccer field complex to come to fruition. They had to start with a donor committed to making it a reality. Community support and architectural drawings.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the board:
Welcomed new board members Kala Green and Lee Ann Hunter.
Heard there will be a special meeting Thursday at 5:30 in the high school community room.
Heard there will be no school and the district office will be closed Jan. 15 in honor of Martin Luther King Day.
Heard there will be no school Feb. 12 for professional development.
Heard there will be no school Feb. 19 because of President’s Day.
Received an overview of the accomplishment on the existing Strategic Plan and heard about input so far on recommendations for the items to be included in the Strategic Plan.
Appointed Jeff Quirin to serve again as board president. Lou Martino as first vice-president and Julie Legler as second vice president.
Appointed Lee Ann Hunter to serve as the district representative on the Tri-County Special Education Cooperative.
Appointed Olivia Lyons to the calendar committee.
Appointed Kala Green and Lou Martino to the negotiation’s team.
Approved recommended federal and Kansas Association of School Board policy updates regarding evacuations and emergencies; pregnant and parenting employees; the Uniform Service Leave Act; release of a student during the day; and misuse of student medication.
The board approved hirings and resignations.