As most of you know, the high school is installing turf on the football field. This project has been discussed for several years, especially with Mike Cox’s upcoming retirement as caretaker of the grass field. As a former coach who has personally mowed and painted many football fields, I know firsthand the tremendous value Mike has brought to our program. Even as coaches, we could never have made the field look as good as Mike did week after week. His service to Des Arc athletics is truly immeasurable. While our grass field often looked excellent, out of respect for Mike’s hard work we had to be very protective of it. This limited the types of events we could host and restricted the field’s use mostly to football games. We also faced difficult situations, such as the muddy Bald Knob game a few years ago, which damaged the field for the rest of the season. Mike worked countless hours to restore it.
The new turf will open up opportunities for the district. It will allow many more groups to use the field, including football, baseball, softball, cheer, band, PE classes, field day, peewee teams, and even graduation if desired. The turf will also feature a two-lane track around the field and a 100-meter straightaway for sprint work, so our athletes will no longer have to run in the street. In addition, the field will be open to the public for walking or jogging outside of school hours. This project will transform our stadium into a true multi-use facility for our students and community. Some have asked whether we are depending on donations to complete the project. We are seeking sponsorships, but we are not relying on them. This project is being funded through existing resources. We have not used debt financing, nor have we asked voters for a millage increase. Finally, I know there are always other worthwhile needs in the district. However, this is a project we can responsibly afford that will benefit so many different groups. To illustrate our commitment to the entire district, here are just a few of the improvements we have made over the past five years:
· Teacher raises
· Feed all students for free
· Consistent staff bonuses
· New fence around the elementary campus
· Title I building updates
· New Superintendent’s office (mostly grant-funded)
· New curriculums for DES and DHS
· Math and Literacy facilitators
· New school Suburban for student transport
· New concession stand
· Buried culverts in ditches across from the high school
· District-wide radios
· New flooring and carpet squares
· New roofs on all district buildings (except elementary)
· New high school video sign
· Two new buses
· Cameras on buses and in classrooms
· Bus radios
· New maintenance truck and school tractor
· New football scoreboard
· Additional SRO for the district
· Four CSSO members
We are excited about the positive impact this new turf field will have on our students, athletes, and community for years to come. Also, know that my door is always open to anyone that has any questions regarding the district in general. I will do my best to answer them or at least point you to the right person.