Sumner County Schools officials will move forward with current plans to construct a new stadium at Beech High School, despite some recent disagreements within the district community about how the stadium should be designed.¶
District Director Scott Langford told attendees during Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting that he met recently with contractors to try to make sure the design of the new stadium doesn’t block cheerleaders and dance team members from being visible during football games, which has been a concern of some parents at recent board meetings.¶
He said to address these concerns, contractors agreed to move the stadium six feet. However, some parents and district community members believe an additional four feet of space for cheerleaders is still needed to ensure visibility and safety. One parent criticized Langford and other district leaders for what he believes to be mismanagement of the design process, as well as for a lack of transparency about why some decisions were made regarding the design.¶
“Why is it suddenly such a big deal to be closer and not allow for the cheer and dance teams to be safe and visible during Friday night lights?” he asked during public comments Tuesday, wearing a shirt that said, “Cheerleaders and dancers are athletes too.”¶
Langford shot back against the criticism, by noting that moving the stadium six feet was the “maximum shift possible without requiring a substantive reworking of the project.” He noted that reworking the project entirely is not possible, due to the fact that contractors have “already ordered about $8 million worth of materials and supplies” for the district’s athletic facilities’ renovations and upgrades.¶
“I did not hold a couple feet back. When I talked to the architects, I told them I want the maximum amount of space that we can get without having to rebid the project, and they told me six feet,” he said.¶
The need for renovations arose following the collapse of Beech High School’s bleachers last year, after days of heavy wind and rain. This led the district to make use of temporary bleachers and inspect stadiums for future renovations and upgrades.¶
For more information on the district’s athletic facilities plan, visit their website at www.sumnerschools.org.¶
