Huntington North multi-purpose outdoor facility project FAQs
Renovations and other facilities
Q: Huntington North needed roof and HVAC repairs, have those needs been addressed?
A: Both the roof and HVAC system issues at Huntington North have already been addressed. These issues were reported on in the June 8, 2020, board meeting. The roof was fixed in the summer of 2020 using an insurance claim from hail damage and funds from the 2018 bond issued for facility upgrades. The HVAC system repairs have been and are being completed in four stages. New boilers were installed in the fall of 2020, new chillers were installed at the end of this January, air handlers in North Arena are currently being installed and will be completed during spring break and finally, new digital controllers will be installed this summer to complete the HVAC repair project. The funding for the HVAC repair project also came from the 2018 bond.
Q: Why is money being spent on a new multi-purpose outdoor facility when the referendum for a new high school building did not pass?
A: The community spoke by not voting in favor of the referendum in 2019 to address Huntington North’s needs. When funding through a potential referendum is not available, the only way for the corporation to address facility needs outside of receiving donations is through a bond as funds are available.
Q: How does this project fit into the facility upgrade priorities of Huntington North and HCCSC?
A: Determining a solution for Kriegbaum Field, a failing facility originally built in 1929, was among the top five projects on a list of facility upgrades at Huntington North, first determined in 2018. Other needs on the top five list, which have already been addressed, were repairing the roof and HVAC systems at Huntington North (discussed above) and expanding the Huntington County Community Learning Center, which is in process. All of these needs were reported on in the June 8, 2020, board meeting.
Finances
Q: Why spend more of the bond money on a new multi-purpose outdoor facility rather than paying off the bond early?
A: There are too many critical needs for the corporation’s facilities and the money needs to be utilized to meet those needs. These critical needs (repairing Huntington North’s roof and HVAC system and expanding the Huntington County Learning Center, plus determining a solution for Kriegbaum Field) have been discussed above.
Q: The high tax rates and property taxes are already going to the school corporation, why is improving the quality of education not the primary focus when using funding?
A: The tax rate is not increasing at all for the multi-purpose outdoor facility project, as the funding is coming from the bond received in 2018 to improve facilities within the corporation. The multi-purpose outdoor facility does benefit students’ education, as physical education classes, band and JROTC will all use the facility.
Q: Will there be any new taxes to fund the multi-purpose outdoor facility project?
A: No, there will not be any new taxes to fund the multi-purpose outdoor facility project, but the bond being used for the project is being paid off through tax money already being paid by the community.
Education
Q: Why spend money on an athletic facility instead of increasing teacher pay?
A: The bond money received was issued for facility upgrades, not the education fund. The money must be used as it was intended and is within the operations budget, not the education budget.
Q: Why spend money on an athletic facility instead of putting that money toward education and educational programs?
A: The bond money received was issued for facility upgrades, not the education fund. The money must be used as it was intended and is within the operations budget, not the education budget. The multi-purpose outdoor facility does benefit students’ education, as physical education classes, band and JROTC will all use the facility. Additionally, part of the bond money was used for the Huntington County Community Learning Center expansion, which will be used to offer higher-quality classes, equipment and opportunities to a larger quantity of students.
Q: Why not use the money for classroom supplies to improve the quality of education for students?
A: The bond money received was issued for facility upgrades, not the education fund. The money must be used as it was intended and is within the operations budget, not the education budget.
Athletics
Q: Is the new multi-purpose outdoor facility being built just to be keeping up with other schools in the area and within Huntington North’s athletic conference?
A: A new multi-purpose outdoor facility is being built because Kriegbaum Field, built in 1929, is a failing facility in a number of areas, posing health and safety concerns to student-athletes and fans alike. The safety of student-athletes and fans is of the utmost importance and is in no way tied to the facilities other schools in the area and within Huntington North’s athletic conference have.
Q: Why spend money to replace the multi-purpose outdoor facility instead of improving the facilities for other Huntington North teams?
A: Kriegbaum Field, built in 1929, is a failing facility in a number of areas, posing health and safety concerns to student-athletes and fans alike. As was discussed above, determining a solution for Kriegbaum Field was a critical need due to its health and safety concerns. The corporation is aware there are other facility needs and there is a plan to address those needs in the future.
Q: The rendering of the multi-purpose outdoor facility does not show visitor seating and shows a rather generic playing surface. Is this what the facility will truly be like?
A: No, the rendering provided was created by the architect simply to show the location of the facility and items that are part of the project, such as the bleachers, entrance, track and two outdoor buildings. The rendering does not fully show accurate colors and details for the facility or playing surface. The current portable visitor bleachers at Kriegbaum Field will be transported to the visitors’ side of the new facility, providing 450 seats for visiting fans.
General
Q: Where can I find more information about the multi-purpose outdoor facility?
A: A press release about the multi-purpose outdoor facility can be found on the corporation website. Discussion and information presented during Board of School Trustee meetings can also be found through the corporation website.