If you build it: Approved request clears path for booster-funded East Rowan sports facility

Published 12:10 am Friday, January 31, 2025

East Rowan High School had a big year in sports and the momentum is only getting stronger.

On Monday night, the Rowan-Salisbury School Board signaled approval to move forward with a new sports facility on the Mustang’s campus. The project is being funded independently of the school system so it won’t cost RSS any money but will provide additional workout and exercise space for East Rowan as well as its feeder middle school, Erwin.

“A few months ago, East Rowan approached us and inquired about a potential training facility on campus,” Chief Operating Officer Dr. Jamie Durant said.

East Rowan Principal Tonya German said that about a third of the school’s student body is involved in athletics in some capacity which can put a strain on current facilities. Coupled with shared spaces for Erwin, things can get a little crowded.

“We have a unique position that we share facilities with our feeder middle school (Erwin) that is right across the street,” German said. “A lot of days we run out of space. We feel that we are in need and we have good community support at this time to support the construction of a training facility so that we can provide that adequate space that is needed.”

The proposed facility will include space for speed and agility training, wrestling, cheerleading and meeting spaces.

“We will have a space to accommodate workout space for the athletes and enhance the programs overall,” German said.

While the number is not set in stone, the total cost of the building is expected to be slightly more than $180,000.

About half of that ($95,990) would be for the actual building. There is a $15,000 estimate for engineering, $30,000 for grading and a concrete slab and $40,000 for electrical, HVAC and plumbing.

“What we have right now are current estimates working with different community experts,” German said. “Once we have the approval and go ahead we will have final numbers but we feel pretty confident in that … We don’t think that it will change a lot.”

With the booster club on board, representatives at the meeting on Monday were clear that they were not there to ask for money.

“We are not asking for funding from the board,” German said. “It will be funded independently by our booster club and our Mustang Alumni Capital Campaign Fund that we are ready to launch as soon as we have final approval.”

Athletic Director Brian Hightower offered a glimpse of the facility. The building will be 120 feet x 60 feet. Hightower indicated that there would be a 30×60 rubber-floored weight room.

“The rest of it is going to be turfed,” Hightower said. “What we need is an ideal place for our athletes to work on speed and agility and our other sports to be able to lift at the same time.”

According to Hightower, the facility will be able to house multiple wrestling mats and cheerleading mats.

“That turf area in the winter time will have our wrestling mats that we can roll in and roll out,” Hightower said.

The proposed building will be located behind the softball field.

The school system’s attorney broke down how the process would work since the booster club is doing it, saying that the district will not be overseeing the construction or managing the contracts, adding that ultimately, once it’s built, it will become the school system’s property.

School Board member Sabrina Harris said that she found it very impressive to see that East Rowan “would come to us not to ask for funding but to ask for permission to use your own money and family at East Rowan to do this.”

Booster Club Co-president Julie Humphries said that they were ready to get going on bringing this project to fruition.

“We have a very motivated and dedicated executive board that is excited to get this started,” Humphries said. “Community partners, alumni, our board and the school that are dedicated to making this happen because we desperately need it.”

A motion to approve the booster club to move forward with the construction of the facility as presented was made and approved unanimously.