The Fentress County Board of Education received an estimated $100,000 from the county for its York Elementary multi-purpose sports field project.
The project is to level off and extend the existing field to be regulation size for football and soccer. Fentress County Director of Schools Kristi Hall said she is excited to move the project forward.
“We are gonna put those funds to use first, and the first phase of this project, and then after the initial phase, we are going to look at a more in-depth project as far as possibly adding a restroom facility and a changing facility and that kind of stuff,” Hall said.
Hall said, unfortunately, the project has hit another snag as the contractor is unable to secure construction bonds due to the government shutdown. With delays dragging out the project, Hall said she looks forward to eventually getting the project underway and completed.
“We are wanting to get this going,” Hall said. “In addition to being a multi-use sports field, we will also add some much-needed parking to the existing school parking area, and it will actually double in size for parking, and so that is something that has been much needed at that school.”
Hall said once the project is finished, the new field will have a great impact on the community.
“Obviously, this would give us more usable space at the school for school activities and sports,” Hall said. “Also, we have a community sports team, the bulldogs sports team, that uses that sports field primarily now as it is for practice because it is not regulation size. That has been a team that has used it for some time and is well ingrained within the community, and I think that’s where our support from the county commission came from.”
Hall said the school board will look to take action at the next board meeting on Monday to adjust the start and finish dates of the project’s contract.
Hall said she is hopeful to have the project completed in the Spring of 2026.
