By GAGE WILSON
For Glasgow News 1
Construction of new tennis courts for Caverna Independent Schools is underway.
Time has taken a toll on the courts that were built in the mid-1950s. Cracks in the court surface could no longer be patched, which required the district to rebuild them from the pavement up. After multiple discussions, the Caverna Board of Education voted during its March meeting to accept a bid from Tennis Technologies Inc. to restore the courts.
The bid quoted the repair cost at nearly $200,000, but thanks to the help of community partners, the district will only pay for about half that amount. “Terry Bunnell was a great help,” said Superintendent Amanda Abell. “He was a very strong advocate for this project.”
Bunnell, a Caverna alumnus and tennis enthusiast, has been a lodestone for the project since conversations began last summer. During the March meeting that cemented the board’s commitment, Bunnell spoke in favor of the project and answered questions regarding the grant and funding process.
Abell credited Bunnell’s lobbying efforts, noting at the board’s most recent meeting that a majority of the grant funding came from national and state tennis organizations Bunnell has worked with in the past. She also acknowledged several private donors, including the Horse Cave Rotary Club.
This outpouring of support has been meaningful, Abell said, noting that the enrichment will benefit more than just students.
“The courts will be open to the public,” she said. “And it’s such a joy seeing the community and our district come together. Even now, we have community members who utilize our track.”.
Currently, the courts lay bare, with only the rusted remains of the former chain-link fence marking the location. But that won’t be the case for long.
“We are looking at being done by mid-August,” Abell said. “We’ll be planning an official ribbon cutting, but we have yet to set a date.”
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