Jacob Farmer / jfarmer@yelmonline.com
During his scheduled report at the school board meeting on July 30, Rainier Superintendent Bryon Bahr provided an update on the district’s long-anticipated track improvement project.
Work on the track officially began May 28, and is being made possible by money secured from the district’s capital levy passed in 2024.
As he spoke, Bahr shared pictures of the upgrade-in-progress with the board of directors and audience members. In one of the pictures, the superintendent pointed out a layer of asphalt that was revealed after the removal of the old track surface.
“When they built this track … the district evidently didn’t have enough money to put the rubber surface on it, so for two years, kids ran on just the blacktop,” Bahr said. “That’s why you see those white lines.”
The track renovations include new pits for the long jump, the triple jump and the pole vault, which are now located just beyond the south endzone of the football field. The former area for the triple jump and long jump will soon be sodded.
According to Bahr, the new track surface was projected to be completed by Friday, Aug. 1, and would then be painted.
The new track will be a welcome addition for a team that won two individual 2B state championships during the 2025 season. Janess Blackburn took gold in the discus to cap off her school-record-breaking senior campaign, while Josh Meldrum won gold in the long jump to conclude his own record-setting senior season. The entire girls track team was honored as the 2B Girls Academic State Champions.
During the meeting, the board briefly discussed whether to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new track. No definite plans were made at the time, though Bahr indicated they would discuss further.
As it stands, the track project is on budget and scheduled for a timely completion.
The district has also used capital levy funds to remove the shop’s old dust collector and replace it with a new one. Bahr said he feared the new dust collector was too small when he first saw it. His fears were quickly put to rest.
“They have assured me that this is the right size and it will do the job much more efficiently than the one we had,” Bahr said as he showed a picture of the shiny new dust collector.
Bahr highlighted other summer work during his report, including painting of the crosswalks and replacement of playground equipment at the elementary school. The gym floors have also been refinished and are awaiting the return of volleyball to kick off the sports season.
