The race is on.
And Orem Junior High has to hurry if the school is going to get a new rubberized track, partially paid for with community development block grant money from Orem.Orem city officials agreed Tuesday to fund more than half the cost of renovating the 30-year-old running track, but only if the school and Alpine School District come through with their share of the funds by the end of the year.
That constitutes $35,000 of the estimated $85,000 cost.
Orem's share would be $50,000, earmarked for the track by the citizens committee that spent 41/2 months sorting through applications.
Their recommendations for the dispersal of funds were basically approved intact by the City Council.
Chairman Leonel Castillo said his committee researched every application for the available $1,224,226.
The applicants had to prove their program or request would prevent or eliminate blight, benefit low and moderate-income residents or fill an urgent need for the community.
He said renovation of the junior high school track would benefit many low-income families in the west area of Orem.
Councilwoman Judy Bell said of all the projects presented, "this was the most troublesome" for her.
"I really believe Alpine School District has treated that school (Orem Junior High) badly. I would feel more comfortable with a 50/50 split, not $10,000 for the district and $50,000 from us," said Bell.
Castillo explained that the junior high staff and student body would raise $22,000-$25,000 and the school district would contribute $10,000. "That's closer to half than $10,000," he said.
School officials, including Cecil Tuley, assistant principal, and Pam Hallem, principal, said it was their hope that the city would look at the school as an auxiliary park.
"We're actually trying to build a partnership here," said Tuley. He added that the district pays the maintenance costs and opens the school for city recreation programs every night of the week and weekends at no charge.
After the vote to approve the funding with the stipulation that matching funds be raised by Dec. 31, 1994, school officials expressed some consternation.
"That's not within a fiscal year budget. So we can't do it. The budget's been set for the rest of this year," said Sharon K. Smith, administrative assistant at Orem Junior High.