Clarke Central High School sophomore Abby Allen gives a speech at the Clarke County School District Board of Education meeting held at the Athens Career Academy on March 7. Allen addressed her concerns about the CCHS softball field’s poor condition. “Three weeks ago the president of the booster club, my mother Lauren Allen, talked to the Board of Education and they told her that she needs the board’s approval in order to get the funding,” Allen said. “That’s the reason why I gave my speech today is to get approval from the board of the field.” Photo by Naomi Hendershot
Clarke Central High School sophomore Abby Allen spoke at the Clarke County School District Board of Education meeting on March 7 on behalf of the CCHS softball team.
The Clarke County School District Board of Education held a board meeting at the Athens Career Academy on March 7. There were many speakers in attendance to address the board regarding community issues. One of the speakers was Clarke Central High School sophomore Abby Allen.
Allen spoke to the board with the goal of persuading members to approve funding for the repair of the CCHS softball field.
“I gave the speech tonight because I felt strongly about the inequality we have compared to other facilities at Clarke Central,” Allen said. “I want the Board of Education to do everything in their power to do what we need in order to improve the field.”
According to an email sent out to some members community from Clarke Middle School media specialist and CCHS softball team parent Shawn Hinger, the baseball and softball fields were initially supposed to be constructed equally.
¨In the initial plan back in the 90’s both of these facilities were to be the same; however, that never happened,” Hinger wrote in the email. ¨The softball field has many issues with the field itself related to drainage and preparation of the playing surface that makes it unsafe for athletes.”
The board will decide whether or not to approve the funding in two months when they are presented with the high school sports budget for both Clarke County high schools.
“I think it’s important to know within the (SPLOST) five lists of projects there was a line item of 2.5 million dollars set aside for high school athletic facilities,” CCSD superintendent Dr. Demond Means said at the BOE meeting. “One of the many projects that Clarke Central intends to focus on is the softball field, which we are all concerned about.”
