Peru High School track to be redone, ready for fall
Nov. 15—PERU — Track meets hosted by Peru High School at Bengal Memorial Stadium are one step closer to returning.
Work is expected to begin next spring on a $4 million project to resurface the track at the high school.
It's a long overdue project as the condition of the track has deteriorated to the point that patches of the rubber surface have eroded away. In some areas, rubber pieces flake off by rubbing one's shoes over the surface.
The outer lane of the track also butts up against the foundation of the home-side bleachers, which does not meet state requirements.
These issues have prevented Peru High School from hosting home track meets for multiple years.
Peru Community Schools is expected to bid the project out and name a contractor in early 2024.
"We just want to be in compliance," said Peru Superintendent Jaime Cole. "We want a really good track."
The track is expected to be done by next fall.
The project will not raise taxes as Peru schools is set to pay off some debt. This new debt replaces the old, maintaining a consistent tax rate.
Former Superintendent Sam Watkins said in an interview last year Peru schools can take on more debt for the same reason in the coming years to address other infrastructure projects. In total, the school corporation could take on up to $32 million in new debt without an impact on the tax rate.
That decision will be up to the Peru School Board, which has been conservative with finances in recent years.
The $4 million project also includes renovating the bleachers and press box at the football stadium and installing restrooms and a pavilion along the path that passes by the baseball field.
Bleachers, specifically the home-side bleachers, are another much-needed fix for Peru schools. Athletic Director Colin Quin told the Tribune last year there is black mold underneath the bleachers, which are past their lifespan.
The stands are also not in compliance with the American Disabilities Act of 1990, though they are grandfathered in, having been built before 1990.
Renovations will make the bleachers ADA complaint, Cole said.
The pavilion will be a gathering and cook-out area. The new restrooms will be heated.
While most of the project is focused on athletics, funds were also earmarked to repair Elmwood Elementary School's roof — completed in July — and HVAC systems at various Peru schools.
Spencer Durham can be reached at 765-454-8598, by email at spencer.durham@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @Durham_KT.
