Saturday-football plan brings dissent

The schools superintendent said the decision is not a dead issue.

BY JORDAN COHEN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

VIENNA — A dozen residents of the Mathews School District voiced their opposition to plans by the board of education to move high school football games from Friday evenings to Saturday afternoons because of lighting problems.

“I just want to know you’re going to fix this problem,” said John Wise, whose brother David is a member of the board.

Superintendent Lee Seiple, however, told the residents that the move to Saturdays “is not a dead issue.”

Last month, Seiple said he was considering the change because he doesn’t want the district to spend the $23,000 replacement cost for a transformer should voters approve construction of a new stadium. The board expects to submit a building improvements plan to voters in next year’s primary election, but has not determined if a new stadium will be part of the proposal.

Seiple told the group during Wednesday’s board of education meeting that the transformer cannot be moved and that replacing all of the lights would cost $200,000.

“Do we want to spend that money and not know if the field will be the site for the future?” the superintendent said.

Seiple said there are still some options that might save Friday night football. He and other board members are looking into the possibility of getting a transformer donated to the district. The superintendent also disclosed he is investigating whether a generator from the nearby Vienna air base can be borrowed to provide the power.

Seiple said a third option may involve running a power line from the nearby field house to the lights. A monitor will be placed on the line to determine the feasibility.

Several of the residents were not reassured.

“It appears to me that you’re going to use this as leverage to get a new school building,” said Barbara Gibbs of Vienna. “Personally, I won’t support your bond issue.”

“You’re going in the wrong direction with your enrollment if you keep going in this direction” with Saturday football, said Robert Deal of Vienna.

A few others, however, said they might actively try to raise money to fund the transformer.

Seiple said he still has time to look into the other options, but conceded time is limited.

In another item, the board voted to decrease an existing 9.76-mill tax levy to 9.25 mills for five years and place it on the November ballot. It is the second time the millage has been reduced since the levy’s initial passage in 1999.