PCHS track to be refurbished, thanks to Gordon Contracting

GUILFORD — The athletic field at Piscataquis Community High School will have a replaced track circling the soccer field, thanks to the generosity of Gordon Contracting. The Sangerville-based business will donate up to $85,000 to pave the running area and work on the soccer field to alleviate drainage issues.

The SAD 4 school board formally accepted the contribution made by Gordon Contracting President/CEO Brian Howard during a meeting at Piscataquis Community Elementary School on March 9.

PCHS Athletic Director Joe Gallant said Howard — who is a PCHS graduate — will donate “up to $85,000 to pave the track, pave the pole vault runway and do whatever he can to upgrade the soccer field to make it better than it is.”

With approval granted to accept the donation from Gordon Contracting, Gallant will start a fundraising effort for monies needed to rubberize the track to make the surface suitable for hosting competitions for the first time in years. Gallant said such a surface will have a life expectancy of 20 to 25 years.

During the February board meeting, he said the cost to install the outer layer material would be approximately $103,000. “I’m real confident there’s businesses around the community that will donate to get that track up and running,” Gallant said last month. 

He said the proposed project would have six lanes around the entire 400 meters. The track would probably not be used for postseason meets, as eight lanes are needed for the 100 meters and high hurdle events.

He said the previous track was installed more than a quarter century ago. “It lasted a good 17 years for running track meets at the high school and middle school level. That track was not rubberized,” Gallant said.

Concerns about future costs for the site were raised, but “nothing’s being asked of taxpayers to do this,” the athletic director said.

Another concern raised stemmed from the proposed regional high school project with SAD 46 and SAD 41 and what might happen to the athletic field should PCHS close with grades 9-12 students going elsewhere. 

“This district would probably still have a K-8 school and they’re going to need that field for track, the soccer field and field hockey,” Gallant said. He said if a new high school did open, the athletic fields would likely not be ready as soon as the doors opened.

“I think our students deserve a paved track to practice on,” board member Chris Quartucci said. “The new school may not be built for five years, a new track may not be built for three years after that.”

“If donations fall through we have a paved track. We are out nothing,” Board Vice Chairman Brian Levensailor said. 

When asked, Gallant said a paved track could be used for practices but competitions with other schools would need to be held on a rubberized surface. 

He said a long-term plan for the athletic complex includes the purchase of new track and field equipment and the construction of a building for concessions with restrooms.

Last month Gallant told the directors that Trey Gilbert of Herring Brothers Meats in Guilford — a PCHS grad who coaches the Pirates boys soccer squad — wishes to donate 100 percent of the costs for a lighting system for the field, valued at about $50,000.

Gallant also gave an update on the upcoming spring sports season, saying the week prior new state guidelines were announced to expand the numbers for outdoor gatherings. He said this will help alleviate issues with busing, social distancing and how many spectators can attend events.

“We’re looking like we’re going to be normal — other than the masks,” Gallant said. He said baseball and softball teams would likely have 16-game seasons, and while outdoor track meets may not look quite like pre-pandemic competitions, all events could be held in the same place and at the same time rather than staggered as was done for schools competing in indoor track during the winter.

In other business, Board Chairperson Niki Fortier said the next planning meeting on the regional high school would be held on Tuesday, March 16 so she will have an update for the full board at the April meeting. 

“I think the focus needs to be ‘it doesn’t matter where it is, we need to build it,’” Fortier said about the board being united in favor of the project.

“Last night the superintendents met with the local legislators,” Superintendent Kelly MacFadyen said, as the delegation learned more about the proposed regional high school. 

She said a question wondered if other school districts could join the project. “That’s a possibility,” the superintendent said. “Do we want to approach or not and what would that look like?”

MacFadyen said the governance for the proposed school is being worked on now. She said currently there is no legislation for an RSU to oversee just a secondary school so special legislation would need to be passed. Rep. Paul Stearns, R-Guilford — who is a retired SAD 4 superintendent — has put in a placeholder so this legislation can be discussed during upcoming work sessions in Augusta.

The budget committee has had its first meeting with the next session set for March 11. MacFadyen said the 2021-22 finances for the Piscataquis Valley Adult Education Cooperative would remain flat from the current academic year, so SAD 4 would again be responsible for its $47,974 proportional share of the $411,180.