Gettysburg Area School District may soon renovate Warrior Stadium, but exact details are still being discussed.
At its meeting on Monday, the board sent a proposal from the district’s Finance and Facilities Committee back to the committee for further review. Board Vice President Michael Dickerson requested the committee seek input from coaches and the district athletic director.
“My request to table is not to cast any doubt on their (the committee’s) abilities. I just wanted a little more time and have a few more questions,” Dickerson said.
The proposal, as stated in the agenda, was to remove and replace visitor-side concrete bleachers, which were built in 1976, and expand the home-side aluminum bleachers constructed in 2014.
The committee also suggested adding a structure to house team and officials’ locker rooms that would be used during practices and games. Currently, Middle School gym class locker rooms are used. The committee does not believe the locker rooms are of adequate size nor do they provide separation of home and visiting teams leaving the field during the game.
The district last renovated Warrior Stadium in 2014 when it installed a turf field. In 2008, after months of often heated public discussion, the district decided not to move the stadium from the Middle School property to the High School on Old Harrisburg Road.
The Facilities Committee’s next meeting is 4 p.m., March 21 at the District Administration Building on Biglerville Road.
Graduation
Since 2021, Warrior Stadium has been the site of the Gettysburg Area High School graduation. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the district held graduation ceremonies inside the high school gymnasium. The move, originally made for health precautions, proved to be popular so the administration plans to keep graduation outdoors.
Mother Nature controls the fate of outdoor events, so the high school administration requested the board move graduation from Friday, May 24 to Thursday, May 23. Board President Kenny Hassinger said the change will allow an extra day to consider if the weather forecast is unfavorable. The board unanimously approved the request.
In the future, the date of graduation will not be part of the official school calendar so it will not need to be approved by the board.
Audit
Krista Gardner, certified public accountant for SEK CPAs and Advisors, presented the district’s Fiscal Year 2023.
“Two thumbs up,” Gardner told the board.
She said her firm found one material weakness. The district received grant revenue it did not immediately spend and recorded it as income for that year. In the future, Gardner advises the district to classify such money as deferred revenue.
Overall, Gardner said, the district’s finances are in great shape. She commended Business Manager Belinda Wallen and Assistant Business Manager Thomas Fortnum for their work.
Alex J. Hayes has spent almost two decades in the Adams County news business. He is passionate about sharing stories focused on the people in our communities and following local governments in an age when few journalists report on their meetings. Alex is also a freelance writer for several other publications in South Central Pennsylvania. Alex encourages readers to contact him at ahayes83@gmail.com.