By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
Elected leaders of the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District (SBCISD) were told that the Bobby Morrow Stadium turf is two years overdue for replacement and were reminded of how often it is used not only for athletic events but also by hundreds of students and the broader community.
During a special SBCISD Board of Trustees meeting at the John F. Barron Administration Building, the Board unanimously approved a turf replacement project at a cost of $569,427, with add-ons totaling up to $108,765.
SBCISD will also pay $14.50 per linear foot to replace the existing nailer with a 2×4-inch EcoNailer, if needed.
The nailer boards are part of the turf and provide a stable, rot-resistant perimeter border to fasten the artificial grass tightly to the concrete curb.
Vicky Perez, SBCISD’s assistant superintendent of Finance and Operations, said the add-on alternatives are included in the payment due to the level of traction and usage the stadium turf experiences.
The last event at the stadium was the commencement exercises for hundreds of San Benito High School graduates, along with school and district administrators.
Hellas Construction, based in Austin, is handling the turf removal and replacement. According to the company, the project starts this summer and includes an eight-year warranty.
It once again features inlaid football and soccer markings, checkerboard end-zone patterns, and a central field with the Greyhounds’ mascot and “SB” logo.
“When the field was originally built, the turf was installed 12 years ago. It’s recommended that the turf be replaced every 10 years,” SBCISD Superintendent of Schools Fred Perez said. “We use that field more than most. We use it for soccer, football, and many of our community events.”
The Greyhounds football team has a Week 1 home game scheduled against the Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets, but the date has not yet been announced.
It’s customary to schedule home and away football scrimmages with various schools as well.
Trustee Celina Gonzales moved to approve the turf project, seconded by Trustee Roel Abrego.
BIG TICKET ITEMS SPENDING
Trustee Dr. Ariel Cruz-Vela used the occasion to make a point about the athletic purchases that seem to recur every decade or so.
“The purchase we are making right now is for items that we have to replace every 10 years. I know we have to do it for the baseball and softball fields as well,” she said. “It’s just that (SBCISD) is in such a financial position; we are not operating on a surplus. We operate on a deficit. We’ve been operating on a deficit for several years.”
Trustee Cruz-Vela said she understands that these purchases are necessary for student safety.
She asked whether SBCISD can begin setting aside funds now so that, when the time comes, allocating $1 million from the fund balance for athletics isn’t a “shock.”
Finance officer Perez said her department could establish a dedicated fund balance for those purchases.
But she reminded trustees that it’s allocated not only for athletics but also for other purchases, such as HVAC, roofs, buses, and fleet management.
Cruz-Vela asked whether they are always an interest-bearing account, and Perez said they are.
“It would need to be a resolution at the board level stating that the trustees are resolved to allocate X dollars to the assigned fund balance and stating the purpose for it, that it is earmarked for that specific use,” finance officer Perez said. “As an administration, we could come up with a list of big-ticket purchases that are part of a repurchasing plan.”
Trustee Gonzales learned, upon inquiring, that the SBCISD administration doesn’t budget for depreciation of its assets.
“Maybe that is something (SBCISD) needs to do for end-of-life assets, so we can have funds in there,” Trustee Gonzales said.
Trustee Rudy Corona believes SBCISD has a healthy fund balance and asked the finance department to elaborate on the balance.
“SBCISD has a $40 million fund balance. We are very conservative in our purchasing. This year, we had an extra five cents in disaster pennies on our tax collections, which has boosted our revenue and will help our fund balance overall,” finance officer Perez said.
Currently, she said SBCISD has a fund balance of 124 days overall.
Before the May board election, Perez had explained, in part, how SBCISD’s finances and enrollment are linked and how trustees are affected in their financial decisions.
With two newly elected trustees on the board, Perez also explained what SBCISD’s “unassigned fund balance” is, noting that it’s a portion of the “general fund” savings that is unspent, uncommitted, and could be unrestricted.
It serves as a rainy-day fund, providing the district with vital cash flow and a financial safety net to cover emergencies, unexpected enrollment spikes, or sudden revenue shortfalls.
“The unassigned fund balance, God forbid we had an emergency, would last 95 days,” Perez said.
“Our policy says we only need 15 percent of our total budget, and that is way more than 15 percent. It’s a collaborative effort to be fiscally responsible, to be disciplined in knowing what we need and what we want, and to be able to address these with enough time to do it in a very fiscally responsible manner.”
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