DESPITE FAILING ON two attempts last year to pass a capital projects levy, the La Center School District and members of the community are moving ahead with improvements to the athletic facilities at La Center High School. Soon, lights will be installed at the field near the high school. Other improvements will follow that are expected to allow the fields to be used this spring. Photo by Mike Schultz.
LA CENTER HAS NOT hosted a football game on its high school campus since 1992. Improvements are currently underway that will allow the Wildcats to play their home games next season on the field adjacent to the high school. Photo by Mike Schultz.
It’s called “The La Center Way.’’
The last time La Center High School was the site of a football game was 1992. During many of the 20-plus years since the Wildcats ran out onto a field at their own school, members of the community have joined together with school officials in an attempt to upgrade the school’s facilities, not just for the football team but for other groups and organizations in the district and community as well.
Thanks to those efforts, the La Center School District and community will soon see some long-awaited results.
“We are putting in lights at the high school field,’’ said Mark Mansell, superintendent of the La Center School District.
Members of the La Center School District’s Board of Directors recently approved about $82,000 in funds that will be used for materials for the lighting to be installed at the athletic facility at the high school. This phase of the project will be completed thanks in large part to more than $100,000 worth of donations of time and equipment from members of the Clark County community.
“This is truly a community partnership,’’ Mansell said. “What is so great about this is that when all is said and done, we’re going to be spending about half as much as if we did the whole project ourselves.’’
The La Center School District has asked voters to approve funding for the facilities project, seemingly, more times than anyone can remember. Just last year, the district twice attempted to fund a $1.2 million capital projects levy. It failed both times, first by just 27 votes in February 2013 and then by a larger margin in April 2013.
“The La Center Way,’’ a mantra repeated often by Mansell and key members of the community, led district officials and members of the community to go back to the drawing board to find out how they could move forward with the project without the funds that would have been provided by the failed capital projects levy.
Members of the La Center Education Foundation, which was formed in 2005, had already secured partnerships with several businesses and individuals in the area to provide services to the project. Mansell and other district officials went to work to find the $82,000 in funding out of the existing budget. And, together, they stepped out on faith that with each completed phase, momentum would be built to complete the next.
“We still have a long way to go, but we’ve made great progress,’’ said Josh Soske, project manager for the effort. “We are definitely on the way. We are building momentum and partnerships, in what we call ‘The La Center Way.’ It’s our whole community coming together to make this a better place for us all.’’
Chris Wonderly, of Vancouver-based Olson Engineering, has already completed the surveying at no charge. That allowed Jeff Whitten, with The Wolfe Group of Battle Ground, to complete the architectural drawings. In February, Nick Dodson of Cascade Wireworks in Vancouver and Alan Kangas of ADK Electric will begin the electrical work, which is expected to be completed in the next 60-90 days.
Clark Public Utilities has agreed to provide its large auger machines and a crane to raise the light posts. Nathan Stokes, of Parrish Excavating, will provide heavy equipment and operators.
Soske and Mansell also credit a group of about 20 other volunteers and the founders of the La Center Education Foundation for providing the energy and momentum of the effort, including President Staci Firl and leaders Walter Hansen, Jr. and Madi Deotsch.
“We fully anticipate playing boys soccer on that field in the spring and football and girls soccer on it in the fall,’’ Mansell said.
Once this phase of the project is completed, Mansell said the next phase will be done the same way. The board will find more funding to use as seed money for materials and the volunteers will continue to match that with contributions from the community.
Goal posts will have to be purchased and installed as well as a scoreboard. Mansell said the plan is to have seating for about 1,300, which will be covered at some point. The project also will eventually include an announcer’s booth.
Soske points out that the group is currently looking for a structural engineer and also someone who does pavement.
“Those are skills we haven’t identified in the area as of yet,’’ said Soske, who pointed out La Center is the only school in the area without a paved track.
In addition to soccer and football, the effort also includes a vision for addressing the softball and baseball facilities at the high school. The facilities will also be used in the future for an outdoor classroom, graduation, outdoor concerts and other school and community events.
Those interested in joining in the effort are encouraged to send an email to lacentereducationfoundation@gmail.com.
