By Pat Jenkins The Dispatch Eatonville School District officials and community members have begun discussions that could lead to major upgrades of athletic facilities in the district. The Citizens Facility Improvement Committee began meeting in May and has more meetings scheduled, including informational sessions for the general public Aug. 11 and Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. at Eatonville High School, when the committee will report on its work so far and ask for the public's input. Krestin Bahr, the district superintendent, said all facilities at the high school and the middle school are under review. Problems with facilities that the committee has studied include spectator seating, safety and security, lighting, the condition of fields, overbooking of facilities for team practices, and the inability to host post-season competitions. For instance, the committee has noted that fields GÇô including the high school's football field, which sometimes can only be used for games GÇô don't hold up well in rainy weather. Possible improvements that have been discussed include synthetic field surfaces for football, soccer and track, doubling the amount of bleacher seats for fans at the high school's football/track/soccer complex, relocating the high school's fastpitch field and tennis courts to make room for other uses, and adding a track for the middle school. Keys to any upgrades are how the community feels, the cost of any changes and how they would be paid for, said Bahr, who is a member of the committee. The committee, comprised of district representatives and community members, includes School Board member Ronda Litzenberger, George Fairhart, the district's athletics director and coach of the high school football team, high school principal John Paul Colgan, and community members Phil Nordstrom and Rich Williams. Nordstrom was a leader of community support for a voter-approved district bond measure for remodeling and renovating schools. The athletics study is part of the committee's work on a 20-year plan for long-range use and development of school buildings and facilities. The district has hired Hill International, a consultant, to help the committee put a plan together.
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