Equity may be coming to Manteca Unified School District football stadiums.
The school board when they meet tonight will consider approving renovation projects for Manteca, East Union, and Lathrop high school stadiums.
If they do so, it means all high school football stadiums in the district will align with MUSD standards established by the school board and have equitable facilities.
Funding for the projects will draw from some of the remaining $159 million in the 2014 Measure G bond proceeds and the $260 million Measure A bonds approved in November 2020.
The initial step would involve spending $350,000 for each of the three high schools for the design phase. It also involves securing Division of State Architect approval required for all public school projects.
The first projects to move forward will be East Union and Lathrop High schools. The Manteca High stadium work will follow those two campuses due to more code compliance needs attributed to the age of some of the facilities being addressed that date back to 1959.
Both Manteca and EU require upgrades to the storm water system to allow their use during and after inclement weather.
All three high schools will get 8-lane all-weather tracks. The turf, although in excellent repair, requires significant and ongoing maintenance. The project will allow the installation of hybrid Bermuda turf that increases the durability of the turf.
Irrigation systems will be replaced to address ongoing issues and to align with standards for water conservation, adequate coverage, and controls.
The turf will be designed to accommodate both football and soccer.
The three stadiums will be brought up to current building codes. That includes Americans with Disabilities Act compliance concerns and providing for lighting upgrades to emergency egress requirements.
Work specific to the Manteca High stadium includes:
*Replacing the 1,000-seat visitors’ bleachers.
*A possible alternate add-on of 22 feet of netting over an 8-foot chain link fence between the southern end of the stadium and an adjoining mobile home park.
*Installing 650 linear feet of 8-foot chain link fence elsewhere with a possible alternative to that of a masonry wall instead.
*Installing 1,145 linear feet of linear chain link fence or the alternate of a wrought iron security fence.
*Proposed replacement facilities for high jump, triple/long jump, pole vault, shot put and discus.
*An existing building on the northeast edge of the stadium to be repurposed as team rooms.
*New ticket booth/restroom building as well as a picnic/pop up tent area.
*Proposed storage containers.
*Installing ADA parking and an accessibility path.
*Demolishing a building in the southeast corner of the stadium.
*Proposed scoreboard and flag pole.
Work specific to East Union High’s stadium includes:
*Proposed ADA parking stalls.
*New flag pole.
*New improvements for triple jump/long jump, pole vault, shot put, and discus.
*Proposed storage containers.
Work specific to Lathrop High includes:
*Upgrades to existing ADA parking.
*Proposed storage containers.
*New triple jump/long jump, discus, shot out, pole vault, and high jump areas.
The school board meets at 7 p.m. tonight at the district office complex, Airport Way and Louise Avenue.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
