Secondary school could open in November or December
GRANGER – Despite several hurdles, it looks like the Granger High School Lions will at last take to the field in the new stadium.
During the monthly Granger Independent School District meeting Oct. 8, it was announced the Lions will host Iola High School 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17 at the recently completed football stadium.
That night also marks the Lions’ annual homecoming.
Superintendent Stephen Brosch asked the City Council during its Oct. 13 meeting for approval to hold Senior Night and the last home game of the football season on the new field.
Mayor Bruce Waggoner and the council approved the decision Oct. 14.
While water is still not flowing to the new secondary school or the sports complex, accommodations have been made to supply the concession stand and the stadium the night of the game.
The overall holdup for the last few months has been attributed to a city waterpipe project and issues drilling under the railroad.
Scott Murrah, president of 5M Associates LLC, which specializes in water engineering, told trustees that 29,000 gallons of water are in a storage tank to meet the water and wastewater needs of fans and players.
“The plan is to have trucks pump out the wastewater lines Friday afternoon before the football game and make sure everything is dry, so when the football game starts we have plenty of volume in that system,” Murrah said.
Food and drinks will be sold at the game and water for showers will also be available to the football players.
Murrah noted a third attempt to bore under the Union Pacific Railroad lines had been approved by RailPros, the liaison between the community and the railroad. He presented a map to trustees explaining the next underground bore.
“We’ve moved the line as far north as we could and lowered it by 20 feet from the initial eight feet,” he said.
RailPros has approved the move, but the city is now awaiting an OK from the contractor.
“If this bore doesn’t work, it’s going to be another three to four months before we can do another one,” Murrah said.
In other news, Ed Mullins of Rice & Gardner Associates told trustees that all work would be completed at the secondary school in three weeks with students possibly moving in by the end of November or early December.
Water is the only issue remaining. The fire pump safety test for Oct. 20 has been scheduled for Nov. 17, in a move agreed to by both Brosch and Waggoner.
The next school board meeting is 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 in the board room at 300 N. Colorado St.
