The Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for Bloomington High School South’s (BHSS) new soccer field on Monday, August 25before the Varsity Girls Soccer match. The project, funded through Bonds, is part of the MCCSC’s effort, Designing & Building to Sustain Excellence to invest in enhancing school facilities to benefit students.
“One of my top priorities has been ensuring our students have access to state-of-the-art academic, athletic, and performing arts facilities.” said MCCSC Superintendent Dr. Markay Winston. “Today is a proud moment for us to be able to open this new field. It is more than an athletic facility — it’s an investment in our students’ well-being and growth. I am deeply grateful to the Board of School Trustees and the public for their support of this project, and for sharing my commitment and vision to sustain excellence in our school facilities.”
Funding large facility investments through bonds is a strategic practice that school corporations use to maintain financial stability in their Operations Fund, the funding source designated to cover staff wages and other expenses. The funding source school corporations use for bond repayment, the Debt Service Fund, is legally restricted to be used for long-term debt obligations and cannot support staff or teacher wages.
“This project demonstrates our responsible stewardship of public resources while investing in the facilities that will benefit current and future generations of students,” said Winston.
Speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony included:
BHSS Principal Mark Fletcher
BHSS Assistant Athletic Director Larry Winters
MCCSC Superintendent Dr. Markay Winston
Board of School Trustees Vice President Erin Cooperman
Director of Construction and Facilities Sam Fleener
BHSS Girls Soccer Coach David Prall
Board of School Trustees Vice President Erin Cooperman said, “One of the things that makes me so proud to represent MCCSC is that we don’t just focus on test scores. We focus on the whole student, and that means taking care of our students’ emotional health, mental health, physical health, and creating places where they can play.”
The new soccer field features artificial turf and will serve both the boys’ and girls’ soccer programs. It will also be available for physical education classes and extracurricular activities.
The new field represents MCCSC’s ongoing commitment to providing students with exceptional facilities that support both academic achievement and personal development. The district plans to continue facility improvements across all schools as part of its “Designing & Building to Sustain Excellence” project.
