By Joe Hadsall

jhadsall@joplinglobe.com

CARL JUNCTION, Mo. — The Carl Junction R-1 Board of Education plans to upgrade a football field and build a new playground, but it has not yet approved a plan to pay for them.

The board Monday night approved three motions relating to the projects:

n Installation of synthetic turf at Bulldog Stadium.

n Slating a public hearing on terms of a lease-purchase plan.

n Seeking bids for new playground equipment.

Each motion was approved unanimously.

As part of its first motion, the board accepted a bid from General Sports Venue to install AstroTurf GameDay XPE 42 turf for $551,765. The price comprises a $506,385 base price, $34,380 to install track surfaces at the end zones, and $11,000 for new goal posts.

The field will feature a midfield “CJ” logo in white letters with red outlines, “Carl Junction” and “Bulldogs” in similar letters in the end zones, and soccer boundary lines, as well as standard football markings.

Superintendent Phil Cook said that by installing synthetic turf, the district can hold more athletic events at Bulldog Stadium and build a new playground at what now is the junior-high football field.

Assistant Superintendent David Stephens estimated the cost of new playground equipment to be anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000. The playground would be geared for second- through sixth-graders and would accommodate up to 300 pupils at a time.

Instead of going to voters for a bond issue, the board will consider a lease-purchase agreement to finance the projects. The total estimated cost of the projects is $751,765.

According to state law, a school board must conduct a public hearing before entering into a lease-purchase agreement.

The hearing will be held during the board’s next regular meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 28 in the Carl Junction High School Media Center. Board members will choose a specific lease-purchase agreement, select a bid for the playground and discuss additional bleachers during that meeting.