EDWARDSVILLE - During their work session on Sept. 8, 2025, the Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 voted unanimously to approve extensions for the Edwardsville High School track chutes.
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Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton explained that the ongoing track and field construction project has revealed a safety issue with the existing track chutes. There are two options to extend the chutes.
“Last week as they were finishing the excavation and getting ready to pour the asphalt, it came to our attention that some of the chutes on the west side of the track on the north and south were not the length that they needed to be from a safety perspective,” Shelton explained.
Shelton said the district reached out to Byrne & Jones Construction, who responded that, “for some reason, that was out of the scope.” They also spoke to the track and field coaches about their options and what they need to keep their runners safe.
Shelton presented two options to the Board. The first option includes a 14-foot extension to the north and a 6-foot extension to the south for a total of $10,400. The second option is a 35-foot extension to the north and a 6-foot extension to the south for a total of $25,100.
Shelton explained that the south side can be extended only six feet “without any other impact other than a little bit of excavation and moving some conduit.” The north side can be extended up to the fence line at 14 feet, or the district can remove the fence line and complete the 35-foot extension.
The coaches told the district that the second option would be the safest because it extends the chutes as much as possible. Students are currently running in the grass because the chutes are not long enough. They can hit a wall of pads or “stop on a dime,” Board member Matt Breihan noted. Breihan acknowledged his concerns about the costs but stressed the importance of students’ safety.
“I think the public ought to know, before the Board votes on this, the amount of safety concerns this brings up,” he said. “I’ve been pretty vocal about the extra costs and everything else, but the safety of our students comes first in my book.”
Board member Sara Bauer asked for clarifications about project inclusions and exclusions. Shelton explained that the construction company will hand-dig around the existing conduit so that it does not need to be replaced when extending the chutes.
Board member Scott Ahart echoed Breihan’s concerns about cost.
“I understand the safety issue, but we have got to do a better job stepping up these projects,” he said. “To keep coming back to the Board requesting money for add-ons, we just can’t keep conducting business in this fashion…We have to start looking at the true scope of these projects before we start them.”
Bauer suggested sitting down with the coaches and general contractor and talking about all “wish list items” and needs. She wants to see all of these items “on one piece of paper” so they can understand every cost.
“Let’s come up with a total at the end of the day and go, this is the skinny. This is how much it’s really going to cost,” Bauer said.
The Board ultimately voted unanimously to approve the 6-foot extension to the south and the 35-foot extension to the north for a total of $25,100.
