Financing in place for Cloquet athletic complex redo

As contractors began the work of disassembling parts of the Cloquet High School track and football field this week, Cloquet school board members approved the sale of $2.7 million in bonds Monday to help finance renovations of the outdoor athletic facilities complex.

Six companies bid, with the lowest bid from Piper Sandler Companies coming in at a true interest rate of 4.7711 percent, lower than the pre-bid estimate of 5.34 percent.

Jodie Zesbaugh, Ehlers municipal advisor, said the lower bid will save the district $142,682 over what was expected. The bonds will be paid back with capital facility funds from the state, rather than local tax levies over the next 13 years.

The remainder of the $4.9 million in costs will be covered by $1 million in federal ESSER (pandemic relief) funds, and $1.25 million in sponsorship dollars from Members Cooperative Credit Union for the $1.25 million turf field, plus up to $300,000 toward the cost of a new scoreboard, both in return for naming rights.

The plan includes replacing the current grass football and soccer field with turf and widening the field for soccer; adding a new scoreboard with video capability; reconstructing, resurfacing and widening the aging track; moving the discus and shot put stations; and relocating and doubling the tennis courts from four to eight. The home bleachers will remain. There will be new combination football posts with soccer goals. The project will also include an asphalt tennis court viewing area — important for future tournaments — and lighting on the south four courts, plus a fiber connection to the press box from the middle school, to eventually replace the WiFi bridge currently in use. The board also approved upgrading to a better grade of turf with extra sand and rubberized pellets for the field.

Superintendent Michael Cary said any major work on the project was delayed until May 24 because of road restrictions. He also said the school district is working with City of Cloquet officials to get a variance that will allow them to move the long- and triple-jump pits a few feet closer to the fence line along 22nd Street, putting them in the city’s right of way.

In other matters Monday, superintendent Cary said the chances of a high school lacrosse program are improving for both girls and boys. The youth lacrosse program has been working proactively with the school district to establish a school program, and they have the numbers for a collaborative Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys team. They are looking into forming a collaborative girls program with Hermantown and Proctor, as numbers are lower.

If the girls program talks are successful, activities director Paul Riess, Cary and high school principal Steve Battaglia would likely bring a formal proposal to the board. Cary said the youth program organizers have promised they will cover all program costs for the first five years, with Cloquet hiring the coaches.

Board member Ken Scarbrough didn’t like the idea of an outside entity paying for and running a school-sponsored activity, calling it “messy.”

Cary also talked about the legislative session, which was close to wrapping up during Monday’s meeting.

“Very very broadly, I can say we’re going to get more new money than we’ve seen in any time in recent history,” Cary said. “I can piggyback that with we’re also going to get some unfunded mandates that are bigger than we’ve ever seen before.”