While state and federal dollars form the bulk of the financial support for our schools each year, extracurricular activities - including athletics, band, theater, and academic competitions - must be supported 100% through local funding only.
The Roane County Board of Education has committed over $1 million to improvements for athletic facilities and extracurricular programs just this spring:
- Replacement of the playing surface at County Stadium to support an all-weather, year-round facility for curricular and extracurricular programs (approx. $1 million)
- Gym floor resurfacing and bleacher replacement at Walton Elementary Middle School (approx. $100,000)
- Installation of a climbing wall at Spencer Elementary School (approx. $12,000)
- Purchase of new band and color guard uniforms for Roane County High School (approx. $50,000)
These complement investments made in recent years at other locations, including:
- Replacement of the gym floor at Spencer Middle School
- Refinishing of the auditorium stage and replacement of lighting and audio equipment at Roane County High School
- Full replacement of the track at County Stadium
Additional improvements are in the early planning stages, including:
- Gym floor resurfacing at Geary Elementary Middle School
- Video and audio improvements at all athletic facilities to enable high quality streaming of all middle and high school contests
- Field improvements at Leo Hines Field
- Practice facility improvements for baseball and softball
- Resurfacing of the track at County Stadium
- A new, 900+ capacity gymnasium as part of the new Spencer Middle School
Finally, while state and federal funds can normally not be used for any outdoor facilities, funding to schools from the American Rescue Plan can be used to construct outdoor classrooms, given their curricular use during the school day. An outdoor classroom will be built this summer at each Roane County elementary school, with outdoor learning spaces planned for the new Spencer Middle School and at Roane County High School in the future. These spaces can be combined with other efforts to promote health and wellness of our students and our communities through walking trails, outdoor exercise stations, and more.