Vernon uses $500K from reserve fund to pay for high school field and track project

Vernon. The Vernon Township Board of Education gave business administrator Donna Risse the go-ahead to write a letter of intent to FieldTurf, the company that will install the new football field and track at Vernon Township High School.

The school board awarded the project to FieldTurf for $700,517 for a replacement project that will be done over the summer. In October, the Board of Education moved $500,000 from the district’s Capital Reserve Fund to cover the cost of replacing just the field at about $444,000. The district plans to replace the track as well. Both are 13 years old and reaching the end of their life expectancy.

Risse said she reached out to the district’s auditor and he suggested taking the rest of funding out of the Capital Reserve and when he calculates the excess surplus at the end of the year, the money can be used to either replenish the Capital Reserve Fund or decide what else to do with the money.

Risse also said she spoke to county officials, who told her she couldn’t do a purchase order until the budget is complete because the project is not in the 2020-21 budget.

After the budget is approved on May 1, the Board of Education can replenish the Capital Reserve fund if it chooses.