Innovative solutions are becoming popular with members of the Rhea County School Board. As budgets are cut and funding for projects limits expansion or repairs, the board has availed itself of some outside sources for projects and programs.
On Thursday evening the school board voted to enter into a contract with the City of Dayton and Dayton City School to fund one-fourth of the cost of six new tennis courts at the Delaware Avenue sports complex.
“For the first time, Rhea County will be able to host tournaments,” said Micah Ruehling, Rhea County High School’s tennis coach.
Currently, matches with RCHS’s players are split between Dayton City courts and Bryan College courts. The logistics of coaches having to run between the two is not ideal, and the Bryan option may not always be available, Ruehling said.
The approximate $140,000 price tag for the new courts will be split between the City of Dayton ($70,000), with Dayton City School and the County School Board splitting the other half at $35,000 each. That cost includes six regulation courts with fences and gates, and lighting for the area.
Six courts are also the minimum needed to host district or regional tournaments.
“We have looked into the cost of upgrading and expanding the courts at the high school. There really is no space to do so and the cost was over the $140,000 price that the city got,” said Ruehling.
“It is my understanding that the high school would have first priority for matches and practices. The city will keep up the maintenance. I don’t see how we can lose,” said Ruehling.
The board agreed, with six members voting to fund the joint project. Board member Bill Graham was absent, and the District one seat is vacant since John Mincy became a member of the Rhea County Commission.
Maxine Moffet was the lone voice of dissent, stating that she felt it would detract from school spirit for students not to have their own courts at the high school.
The board also voted, unanimously, to adopt the YMCA After-School Program at Spring City Elementary School.
The after-school program was brought to the board for consideration in March by Manny Carrill, director of the Rhea Family YMCA.
The program would be offered at SCES and would run from dismissal at 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. The Y’s trained staff would have activities planned outdoors, in the gym and in the school cafeteria.
Lamont Simpson has worked in YMCA youth programs for 10 years, in Raleigh, N.C., before coming to Dayton. He attended the meeting to answer any last minute questions the board might have.
“Every moment in the program is planned. It is organized. The staff is screened and trained,” said Simpson.
The program is scheduled to begin in Spring City next September, shortly after school begins.
Rhea County General Sessions Judge James McKenzie approached the board to get permission to hold the annual summer boot camp at RCHS. The court-ordered program has been at the high school for several years and the board agreed to continue with it this summer.
Sheriff Mike Neal brought a new project before the board. He asked that the board lease land behind the high school to the sheriff’s department for a new multi-purpose facility. The land is north of the Evensville Volunteer Fire Department building and across the street from the Rhea County Maintenance building.
“There would be a large classroom area for training facilities for law enforcement, fire fighters and emergency services to hold meetings and classes. There would also be a new 50 to 100-yard shooting range, away from the school,” said Neal.
He said he planned to finance the project with drug seizure money.
The board agreed unanimously to lease the land to the Sheriff’s Department.
Robin Kervin can be reached at rkervin@xtn.net.