Northern Lehigh School District will spend $30,180 less than originally anticipated to renovate its track around Bulldog Stadium by dropping the proposed javelin runway.

On a 7-0 vote, the school board on Monday agreed to enter into an agreement with FieldTurf USA Inc. for the stadium track resurfacing project at a cost of $668,820. Directors Robert Keegan Jr. and Natalie Green were absent.Greg Derr, director of support services and transportation, said this is the exact same project that the board in October authorized the administration to contract with ELA Sport for $699,000, plus soft costs, for the project.However, Derr said the difference is that the javelin runway was originally included in the original cost.“We have no problem maintaining it as a grass runway.” Derr said.The entire surface of the track will be milled down, and a new asphalt track will be installed with perimeter drainage. Then crews will overlay the pavement with a new black mat with a urethane surfacing system. The material is impervious.The pole vault runway, long jump runway, and high jump area will receive the same track surface.The project comes with a life expectancy of 15-20 years.Other optionsThe board had previously considered removing the latex track and applying new black mat and urethane surfacing material right over the existing track at a cost of $297,000, with a life expectancy of five to seven years.Another option was to remove the entire track and the base materials and start over with the new subbase and new asphalt, at a cost of $801,000, with a life expectancy of over 25 years.In October, Superintendent Michael Michaels said the district would use money from its long-range construction budget. However, Michaels cautioned that the money for the project is not part of this year’s budget.Michaels said at that time the district does have money saved, but that it is in the process of waiting for a price for the roof at Peters Elementary School.Derr said at that time there’s a third section of roof at Peters Elementary that is from 1991 which is a rubber roof with ballast on it.He added both projects will be done from the July 2016-17 budget, as both have been on the district’s long-range maintenance plan.Derr said the surface is a latex running track, and areas have worn thin and are delaminating to the point where the old lines underneath are coming through.Additionally, he said latex tracks are not being installed any longer, as there is newer and better technology for tracks that makes them more durable and impervious to water.Derr said the track was last resurfaced in 2009, and added the district was aware back then that the thickness of the track would allow for one more resurfacing.In June, the board agreed to allow ELA Sport to contract with an engineering firm to perform core drilling of the track around the stadium at a cost not to exceed $4,500.The core drilling allowed for a full inspection of the asphalt on the track, which was installed in 1981, and provided for a complete project cost presentation.In August 2012, the district held the dedication of the turf field, which cost $770,000 and includes an artificial surface, scoreboard and security system.