LOUDONVILLE — The Loudonville-Perrysville Board of Education approved the purchase and construction of new bleachers to replace the deteriorating visitor’s side seating at Monday night’s meeting.
The bleachers replacement will cost roughly $166,000.
Superintendent Jennifer Allerding said the project is slated to begin in late spring to hopefully complete construction before the 2026-27 football season.
“I’d love to get it for track, but I’m just not convinced that it’s going to happen that quick. If it does, that would be a great thing,” she said.
Allerding said she has received quotes for reseeding and adding an irrigation system to the soccer field, but the board did not approve any projects at the meeting.
Strategic plan
Allerding also proposed beginning the process of creating a strategic plan for the district, something she has worked on in other school districts.
She wants an independent group to oversee the process for neutrality.
The process includes multiple group listening sessions with students, parents, teachers, businesses and other community members. It also includes a community survey.
“When I went through it previously, it is very intensive. It’s a lot of work, there’s a lot of people that are involved,” she said. “We’re allowed to have as many group sessions as I want and the board wants to have.”
Allerding wants to start in February and have the strategic plan completed by late spring or early summer. The end result would be a 2- to 3-page document, highlighting the focus areas identified from the surveys and listening sessions.
“There’s no better time than the present,” Board President John Carroll said.
The project would cost between $30,000 and 50,000, but Allerding assured the board it would be on the lower end.
Board member David Hunter was cautious, noting the board has approved the process before and the plan did not result in any meaningful changes.
“I don’t mind spending the money if we’re gonna use it,” he said.
Allerding said the strategic plan would help the board hold her accountable for implementing necessary actions to address the focus areas.
Other business
Allerding said the district would be posting 11 positions, including a kindergarten teacher, high school principal, head football coach and high school science teacher positions.
The district will be absorbing three teacher positions, which Allerding said will the district will save $303,000.
The board also approved the high school’s course offering book, which Allerding said included rotating classes along with new ones.
The new courses include: Livestock Selection, Nutrition and Management; French 3; Fabrication Labratory and U.S. American Conflicts in the 20th and 21st Centuries.