Renovations to the fitness center at Grove City High School, originally scheduled to begin in March, have been delayed.
The project aimed to create a larger, better-equipped space for student-athletes, addressing a clear need in the school district. However, recent developments have led to a pause in the plan.
The Grove City Area School Board decided to hold off on the fitness center project after an ad-hoc committee recommended taking more time to review the proposal. Concerns about the project were raised at the school board meeting in early February.
Stephanie McCreary, a school board member, criticized the planning process. “It has been a cart before the horse process,” she said. “Teachers weren’t consulted about new physical education space, sports teams weren’t asked about their needs, and students weren’t asked if they even use the room, or why they don’t.”
The original plan was to combine the weight room with the new fitness center and move it into the existing wrestling room. However, a majority of the board voted on Monday to remove any further work on the project.
Ed Phipps, another board member, expressed his frustration before the vote. “Capitulation and cooperation are two very different things,” he said. “There’s only one permanent padded room owned by the district. The possibilities for that space are limited only by your imagination and curriculum.”
Ric Blanchard also raised concerns, especially for the wrestling team. “This seems like a waste of time and funds, especially if the wrestling team is relocated,” he said.
District-wide surveys showed opposition to relocating the fitness center, with many citing concerns over disrupting the wrestling team and other sports. The current weight room has aging equipment and is structurally deteriorating. Several Grove City High School wrestlers attended the meeting to show support for keeping the current space.
Board President Ryan Thomas acknowledged the concerns, explaining the pause. “There was enough feedback to put a pause on it,” he said. “There wasn’t enough support to continue with the current plan.”
Despite the delay, Thomas emphasized that the fitness center project isn’t canceled. “With major upgrades planned for the high school, the fitness center is on the backburner for now,” he said. “We may look at our facilities as a whole. We know there are needs for the football fieldhouse. How does that affect our other sports teams? We’ll revisit our plans with the architect.”
The district has raised nearly $150,000 for the fitness center, but there is currently no timeline for when the project will resume.
