Additional spending approved for Valley High School track project

New Kensington-Arnold School District is having to put almost $16,000 more into its track, but is saving about $10,000 on a project at its football field.

Work on replacing the track at Valley High School and the artificial turf at the nearby Memorial Stadium are proceeding on schedule, Superintendent John Pallone said at a school board meeting Thursday.

The school board in August approved paying ATT Sports about $205,000 to replace the track, plus up to $83,000 for any milling and paving work that may be needed.

That $83,000 was spent, Business Manager Jeff McVey said.

On Thursday, the school board approved paying the company another $11,060 to install a concrete landing pad at the pole vault area.

The board also approved paying up to $7,200 for additional asphalt needed to fix surface areas in the track’s base layer. However, McVey said only $4,500 of that amount will be needed.

Combined, that takes the cost of the track work to a little more than $300,000.

The track has been closed to the public while work has been underway.

Pallone said it should reopen in six to eight weeks, weather permitting.

In August, the board approved paying Sprinturf nearly $320,000 to replace the artificial surface at the football field. That work will start after the end of the football season; the final home game is this Friday with East Allegheny.

Pallone said district officials opted to keep the double “V” at the center of the field instead of changing it to a Viking head, which Pallone said would have cost $10,000 more.