Coupeville Sports

Improvements to Coupeville’s softball field could be coming. (Bailey Thule photo)

Capital projects are rolling forward as summer begins.

Using money from a levy approved by voters in February 2022, the Coupeville School District continues to make improvements to multiple areas.

The new CHS tennis courts, which sit between the high school gym and the softball field, are finished, but still in the process of being “cured.”

They will open to the public July 22.

“This was a challenging project, but we are pleased with the outcome,” said outgoing Coupeville Superintendent Steve King.

“I am pleased that our students and community will be able to enjoy this facility for years to come.”

The district has also finished work on its new transportation building next to the high school — hence the moving of the tennis courts.

“Our staff members deserve a respectable place to work and have their meetings in,” King said.

“Thankfully, we now have a great new building for the team, and we will be able to change the bus flow out of the transportation garage to improve capacity and safety for our vehicles.”

Over the summer, parking lot lines will be repainted at the school, with signs replaced in the parking areas.

Also, floors in the Multipurpose Room at Coupeville Elementary School will be replaced.

Two other projects are at different points, with replacement of the seating in the secondary school’s Performing Arts Center underway.

“It has been over twenty years since the original seats were installed in this facility,” King said. “Our seats were breaking and being able to use the seats on a regular basis has become challenging.

“We have currently taken out the old seats and new seats are being installed in the next couple of weeks.

“Our school community will see great improvements in the PAC when they return to school in the fall.”

Finally, the district is moving forward with plans to improve its softball field, which was built in the early 1990’s at a time when CHS, like most schools statewide, still played slow pitch.

With the change to fast pitch, balls are harder and far more likely to escape the current backstop.

Whether it’s cars on Terry Road being bonked — some while driving past the field — or the trailer park across from the field being under assault by wayward flies, safety is a concern.

The district has submitted plans that will “make significant improvements to our softball field that will greatly improve the facility and will also make it much safer,” King said.

The Historic Preservation Commission of Coupeville, which needs to give its approval for the project to move forward, will consider the issue at a July 11 meeting.

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