By Pete Bosak
BELLEFONTE — The Bellefonte Area school board late Tuesday evening voted to put plans for a wrestling-only room back into a $32 million renovation planned for the high school.
As a cost-cutting measure, the wrestlers faced losing not only the proposed wrestling room for the renovated and expanded high school, but also their current one — drawing a large crowd to the meeting Tuesday.
Under heavy pressure from nearly 80 parents, coaches and wrestlers, the board re-instituted plans to build a new, 4,200-square-foot wrestling room for practices. Wearing team colors and Bellefonte wrestling T-shirts, those addressing the board said cutting a dedicated wrestling area from renovation plans would spell doom for the proud program.
“This is a death sentence to the wrestling program, “argued Bellefonte Wrestling Association President David Jones. “It may take two or three years, but no program can exist under these conditions. If a new wrestling room cannot be included in the plans, we would ask, at a minimum, to keep the existing wrestling room.”
The audience found a friend in board member Rodney Musser, a former wrestler himself.
“All of the schools we compete with have a wrestling room, “Musser said. “We need to be brought up to speed.”
Board member George Stone also urged the board to reconsider its plans for the wrestling room, saying the district is planning a multi-million dollar expansion and should do it right.
“I’m fearful, in the end, we are not going to be happy with what we build up there, “Stone said. “We don’t have appropriate athletic facilities.”
The wrestling room nearly fell onto the chopping block as administrators struggle to hold down costs of the much-needed renovations to the high school. Superintendent James Masullo Jr. said school directors are fearful of over-taxing district property owners to pay for renovations. The board passed a 2005-06 budget Tuesday night calling for a 3.7 percent property tax increase.
Wrestling Gear
