School District 55 received unofficial confirmation that it has received a $38,200 grant from the U.S. Tennis Association two weeks ago and is expecting official notification soon.
The funds will be combined with a $5,000 grant from the Pacific Northwest section of the USTA, $20,000 from the Charlotte Martin Foundation and $75,000 from the Sweet Home Economic Development Group. SHEDG also provided $25,000 for the removal of the old tennis courts, which were located just south of the high school complex.
The project will be completed solely with grants and donations, Supt. Larry Horton said. “We’re not spending any School District money other than my time.”
Counting in-kind donations, the project budget is $163,000, Horton said. The project will cost approximately $130,000 in cash. Remaining funds will be used to purchase seating, a backboard for practice and other features.
Jim Cota will donate time and equipment for grading and preparing the sub-base. Knife River has been contracted for the construction of the new courts.
The district has no exact date for starting construction, Horton said. “Following the Jamboree we are anticipating breaking ground.”
Four courts will be built between the Forestry Club’s competition field, which is just south of the baseball field, and the bus barn off 18th Avenue. The courts will be set in a row away from 18th Avenue with the ends of the courts oriented north and south. A fence will divide the court into two sets of two.
The old courts were declared unsafe in 2007 by the district’s insurance company, Horton said. The district closed two, and the other four were expected to be closed without work.
When SHEDG offered $100,000 for removing the courts and to match other grant funds, Horton said, it made sense to take the deal.
“I know I’m very, very thankful to Jim Cota and the people who are going to be assisting him,” Horton said. He also gave a nod to high school wood shop teacher Dustin Nichol and his construction trades class.
As part of the city’s permit requirements, the district will have to construct sidewalks in that area, Horton said. Nichol’s class will complete that part of the project.