Mt. Pleasant school board approves $15k for pickleball court construction

The Mt. Pleasant Community School Board unanimously approved a $15,000 donation to the Pickleball Committee toward court construction during a regular meeting on Monday, Oct. 8.

The Pickleball Courts will be built at the Mt. Pleasant Middle School, taking the place of the current basketball courts, which members of the Pickleball Committee describe as an 'eyesore” in the community.

'Renovating the middle school courts is a three-pronged effort,” said Adam Smith, Middle School physical education teacher and Pickleball Committee member. 'We believe it enhances our physical education program and our activities in our schools. We have an eyesore at the middle school and we believe a nice-looking court is a great improvement for the district and the community. As a gateway to Mt. Pleasant by Amtrak, we believe it enhances our community's active opportunities.”

Before receiving the district's donation, the Pickleball Committee had already secured $60,000 in pledges toward their $100,000 goal. They hope to break ground this spring and wrap up construction by the time school starts in the fall 2019.

The committee is planning for a six-court pickleball complex that will be available to the school district and the community after school hours.

Last week, the school board approved their support for the Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant application for pickleball court funding.