By JOE LEWIS

The Carter County Board of Education has approved plans to completely resurface the running tracks at both high schools.

The total cost of the project is estimated at close to $100,000, which includes $84,600 to resurface the tracks and a 12 percent architectural fee mandated by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE).

“The condition of the tracks is pretty bad. There are some pretty rough areas. I would even go so far as to say that the track at East isn't safe,” said Ronnie Cooley, the district's facilities director.

School board members weren't pleased about the fact that KDE is requiring them to spend an extra 12 percent on a project they feel isn't very complicated.

“Is there any way we can bid that out? That's an awful lot of extra money to spend on just a couple inches of resurfacing,” said board member Kirk Wilburn.

“That's what KDE requires, unfortunately. We have to do that in the event of some kind of injury. That way we can show that the track was built to state mandated specifications,” said Andy Lyons, the district's finance officer.

The School Board will have to make a special request to KDE for the project.

“Track resurfacing is not on our long-range facilities plan, so we will have to make a capital outlay funds request to KDE in order to do the project,” said Supt. Ronnie Dotson.

Board members also said they would like to survey the area around the tracks as well to determine if any additional work needs to be done.

“We should really try to tie all these things together and get them done at once. That way we aren't coming back for one thing and then another,” said Board Chairman Bryan Greenhill.

Cooley says that work on the tracks will not be able to begin until the spring, should the funding be approved, because all the resurfacing plants have closed for the winter.

Carter Board of Education will meet next in regular session at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19 at the district office in Grayson.