CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On Monday, the Tuloso-Midway ISD school board approved taking $5.5 million from the district’s General Fund Balance to make improvements to the T-M athletic facilities.
“Through some really good management by the board and finance department, they’ve built up this savings account that now feel comfortable withdrawing $5.5 million for a significant outlay project,” said TMISD superintendent Steve VanMatre.
The biggest focus of the project will be to improve Warrior Stadium. The district will convert the field to turf, resurface the track, and improve the bleachers and press box.
“This is really an exciting time to be a part of T-M nation,” said Melinda Gomez-Arriaga, the president of the Tuloso-Midway booster club. “The stadium right now does not reflect how much we believe in our student-athletes and how much we appreciate them. So, this is a major boost for them, even those who can’t take advantage of it now, but just so they know their district knows they love them, they appreciate them, and they recognize the hard work they put in day-in and day-out.”
Gomez-Arriaga is also a T-M parent; she has several kids in the district, including a son who will be a senior this year for the Warrior football team.
“Us as parents have been trying to get this done for a while, even if we missed it for them, we’ll make sure to let them know that it is because of them that we have worked this hard to make this mark for them,” she said.
The renovations will start at the end of the football season, so the seniors won’t benefit from any of the improvements. The district is trying to get a new video scoreboard at the stadium, with the hope it will be operational when the Warriors host La Feria on Sept. 30 for homecoming.
“When our community goes to that game for the first time, they’re going to feel a sense of pride that I don’t think they’ve felt in a while,” VanMatre said.
In addition to the improvements to the football facilities, the district will also upgrade the baseball, softball, and tennis facilities, as well as the natatorium.
The hope with the upgrades: to show the student-athletes the district supports them, to increase Warrior and Cherokee pride throughout the community, and maybe encourage alumni to return to the area to raise their families.
“A lot of them will come back as teachers or coaches, but the majority of them will come back as parents, and get to watch their own children play on these fields, and really have the residual effect of the decision that are being made right now,” Gomez-Arriaga said. “It’s going to trickle through in our student-athletes’ attitudes about wanting to come back here and raise their children here. This is just the beginning of this wonderful new era we’re about to embark on.”
