ESCANABA — The Escanaba Athletic Field is one step closer to getting new bleachers.

The condition of the bleachers at the field was a significant talking point during Monday’s Board of Education meeting.

The current bleachers are in rough shape as they continue to deteriorate, losing their color and integrity. The seats are made of wood planks that are replaced regularly.

The Eskymo Fan Club got to work fundraising to purchase new seating, collecting roughly $400,000 to buy the new seating.

“Eskymo Football continues to stay strong since 1897! Due to our generous supporters, many improvements, such as installing the lights, underground sprinklers, concession stand, ticket booth, scoreboard, and black metal fence, have been completed. Now is the time to restore the Escanaba Eskymo bleachers, and we need your help,” the club said in a fundraising letter.

The community certainly came through, raising the money needed for the seating.

Before the new seats go in, the old ones must come out, and the area for the new seats needs to be cleaned up and re-sealed.

Audience member, student mentor, and concession manager Linda Beauchamp told the board she was shocked when she went under the stadium during a storm, saying a massive amount of water was leaking through.

“You cannot believe the amount of water coming through that on a good rain storm. I mean, it was like standing outside of the stadium. It was like a downpour under there,” she said.

The board agreed that it needed to take action to address the problem but debated on which route to take.

Dan Block of Dynamic Designs presented multiple options from two different bidders to the board. Block went back and forth with the companies to find the best price for the needed work.

The two companies, Bosk Painting and RAM Construction Services, each submitted bids based on coating installation and sealer installation.

Block said the sealer lasts roughly five years before it needs to be reapplied. The coating option has a 5-year warranty and could last 10 to 15 years.

He added that the deterioration in the past two years was ‘shocking’.

The board discussed the options, as one is cheaper but will not last as long as the other more expensive option.

Some board members expressed concern about the uncertainty of the school’s future funding and the need to complete other projects, such as the playground at Lemmer Elementary School.

Others expressed taking the expensive option now as it could save money and prevent potential issues in the near future.

The board ultimately voted to accept the bid from Bosk Painting to do just the sealer at a price of $157,698.

It was not unanimous as members Angela Gardner and Todd Milkiewciz voted no on the motion.

It ultimately passed by a 5-2 vote.

After the meeting, Escanaba Area Schools Superintendent Coby Fletcher said he prefers the coating, but the sealant will help.

“The sealant is going to do a lot of work for us. Obviously, you prefer to do the coating, but our money is finite, and our needs sometimes feel infinite,” Fletcher said.

In other business, the board approved the second of Fletcher’s superintendent goals. The goal is to form a committee to study different anti-bullying programs and select one for the school system.

He said the school currently has a program with anti-bullying material included but is looking for a more direct approach.

The board also heard a presentation from Escanaba Junior/High School Principal Andy Doutree, who talked about his first full year as principal, his goals, and recognizing his staff and the students for their hard work.

Doutree brought a special guest, Public Health, Delta, and Menominee Counties (PHDM) health educator Melissa Blume, for a presentation regarding vaping.

Public Health and Escanaba are working together to educate students on the hazards of vaping.

When a student is caught vaping, Blume gets a call and schedules either four one-hour sessions or two two-hour sessions to discuss the incident using the American Lung Association curriculum.

The program is designed to educate the students on vaping, including the associated costs. She has students perform a ‘nic check’ where students are tasked to write down their use and why they are choosing to vape.

“This is not about getting them to quit. It’s about getting them to see their patterns and figuring out what is best for them,” Blume said.

The board also heard from Escanaba Director of Food Service Nancy LaFave regarding a new service area set-up for the cafeteria. She said the current design has existed since 1961, with no new updates outside a dish machine.

“My budget, finally, after 28 years, has a little bit of money and what better way than to actually make it better for students, better for staff, better for everyone to redo this,” LaFave said.

The new design may take time to complete as the plans must be sent to and approved by the state.

“Once we have all that organized, we are hoping to have it done by the start of the school,” LaFave said.

She said she understands the timeline to have the new layout done is tight, as the equipment can take 10 weeks once it’s ordered.

The Escanaba Board of Education will meet again on Monday, April 14.