Edwardsville School Board Approves Changes to Track and Softball Field Project
After a lengthy discussion during their regular meeting on Aug. 25, 2025, the Board approved several changes to the project, among them soil stabilization and a backstop.
EDWARDSVILLE - During their regular meeting on Aug. 25, 2025, the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education approved several design and construction changes to the track and field and varsity softball field project.
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The project now includes partial area track stabilization at $33,900, F&I Storm outlet control structures at $19,150 and up to $58,855 for soil stabilization. The project will no longer include a new perimeter fence, returning $55,125 back to the budget. A Pro Style Panel Wall Backstop will also be installed for $64,945, the majority of which will be funded by the EHS Softball Boosters.
During the Board’s discussion, representatives from Oates Associates, a civil engineering firm, provided recommendations to the Board. Tom Cissell and Nate Clarey with Oates Associates talked about their findings and reiterated that their firm was not involved in the signing of the contract between the district and Byrne & Jones Construction.
Several Board members expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed changes to the project. Board member Scott Ahart said that contingencies should have been built into the original contract.
“I am so sick and tired of always being faced with a bad decision or worse decision that we have to vote on,” Ahart said. “These are things that should be clearly spelled out before we got into any type of voting on funding. Whatever we’ve got to do to correct the process to avoid these types of conversations in the future, we need to start having. It’s not fair to either the current Board or future Board to always have to come up at the last minute and be forced to make what I feel is a poorly scoped-out project, and they have to make a decision that’s going to cost the boosters or the taxpayers.”
Board member Matt Breihan agreed with Ahart.
“It was known things such as track stabilization, the stabilization for the field, the stabilization for the softball field, and no contingencies,” Breihan said. “It alludes to the intent that they were left off purposely to deceive the Board to pass this vote so we get these projects going, and then that was done at the last meeting of the previous Board. And here we are with newer members, trying to clean up.”
Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton responded that construction projects are done through a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) process. He said it’s not uncommon for the Board to consider alternates in proposed projects.
“[The construction company] builds the contingency into the design construction process. We don’t do that,” Shelton explained. “So when we bring a proposal to the Board, the proposal is what it is. It wasn’t brought to this Board; it was brought to the previous Board. But the alternates were in there. They were stated in the proposal. I think it’s a little misleading to approve all of those alternates if we’re not going to actually do them or if they’re not needed.”
Ahart compared this vote to “putting a gun to a person’s head.” Board President Bob Paty asked if the vote could be postponed to collect more information.
Shelton responded that Byrne & Jones Construction is breaking ground on Sept. 19, 2025, and certain elements of the project, such as soil stabilization, should be approved by then so they complete the project in time for the 2025–2026 softball and track season.
Shelton also clarified that the sports complex was built by boosters, not tax dollars, and it’s “very common” for booster clubs to contribute to projects while they’re under construction. As the varsity softball field is under construction, the varsity coach asked to replace the backstop. The EHS Softball Boosters pledged to fund this project, with plans to write a check this fall for their first payment.
The Board previously voted against installing a concrete perimeter around the track. Because of this, Oates Associates recommended the Board also wait to replace the perimeter fence at this time. This will return $55,125 to the budget, which can be used for soil stabilization instead.
Cissell and Clarey said it was likely the project will need soil stabilization. The Board was asked to approve up to $58,855 for this stabilization.
The Board ultimately unanimously approved the design and construction changes to the track and field and varsity softball field project.
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