Windham athletic director Bill Raycraft and School Board members agree the new high school is in need of a track, though building one may be several years off.

While the possible addition of a track surrounding a turf field is still in the conceptual phase, Raycraft described eventually building the facility as a necessity.

“What we’re looking for now is really necessities, not any of the frills,” he said. “Right now we have some concerns with going forward with what we have with fields.”

At the moment, the high school’s athletic facilities consists of five fields and a gymnasium. While Raycraft has not yet determined which sports – based on potential student participation and interest within the community – the high school will likely host when it opens in the fall of 2009, the limited existing facilities could pose a problem.

“There are certain things we’re going to be able to do. We’re going to have to look at our field situation and determine how soon,” Raycraft said. “Right now we don’t know what sports can be run. It will be known by next month. We haven’t discussed any of sports.”

Still, by not having a track and field, the athletic department has been put at a disadvantage, given the popularity of the sport, Raycraft said.

According to Athletic Committee member Chris O’Neil, the high school’s limited facilities will create a scheduling conflict for sports with overlapping schedules that share the same space, like wrestling, cheerleading and gymnastics. Having a football field without a second field to practice on will also present a problem, he said.

“Right now we’re going on the recommendations of our athletic director. His first priority is that track with the turf field,” said Beverly Donovan, a School Board member. “Right now we’re gathering the estimates. We’re only in the conceptual stage. We have all agreed that it is a high priority, but that doesn’t mean that it will be on the warrant this year.”

In March voters rejected a proposal for a second gym, three athletic fields and a multipurpose stadium with bleacher seating.

“It was not a wise idea to clump everything together,” said Barbara Coish, board chairman. “From stadiums to baseball fields to extra gyms and all of that is not going to be palatable to this public, and they didn’t vote for it. I think even the electorate will support a track eventually.”

She described a simple fenced-off track with a field inside as something that voters would be more likely to support in the coming years. Bruce Anderson, vice chairman of the School Board, agreed with Coish’s assessment.

“It wouldn’t be a full blown stadium. It might be built to a standard to someday add that layer, but get the field and track first,” Anderson said. “I’m optimistic when the town hears the need for those facilities that they’re going to support it.”

While a warrant article allocating the funds for the new facilities will not likely appear before voters within the next year, School Board members are confident that the high school will eventually host its own field and track.

In the meantime, with the school set to have classes limited to freshman and sophomore students in 2009, Raycraft has some room to maneuver.

“We want to listen to what the community wants,” he said.