Andalusia Board of Education on Monday voiced support for a proposed effort to improve the sports facilities and auditorium at Andalusia High School.

Members of the Andalusia Football Foundation outlined plans to work with the board of education and the Andalusia City Council to establish the Public Educational Building Authority of the City of Andalusia, as allowed by the Code of Alabama, Title 16.

Steve Posey, who is a member of the Football Foundation, said the new authority would have a five-year plan and seven initial goals, including:

• Renovating the 65-year-old municipal football stadium.

• Building a girls softball complex on site.

• Modernizing and refurbishing the auditorium.

• Upgrading the baseball field.

• Building an entrance plaza to the stadium.

• Establishing an entrance to the stadium from MLK Parkway.

• Identifying and addressing the needs of other Andalusia City Schools sports

Rex Jones, who has done much of the research and preparation on establishing a new authority, said it will have a three-member board. It is anticipated that, once the authority is established, board members will be Posey, Paula Sue Duebelt and Charles Eldridge.

This Authority will pursue private donations, fundraising and foundation contributions for the proposed work.

The board of education or the city will transfer property it owns to the foundation, which will complete the work. Once the work is completed, it will be transferred back to the schools.

Jones said contributions to the authority are automatically tax deductible.

All present Andalusia Football Foundation board members automatically become members of the authority, Jones said.

“Andalusia had some visionary leadership back in the 50s and 60s,” Jones said. “It’s time our leadership stepped up. If you look at the school building itself, the junior high and the PE facility, it’s all good. But if you leave the facility and go down the hill ….”

Jones, who retired from the state Department of Education, said although he is personally a Straughn graduate, he has grandchildren in the city system from kindergarten through 12th grade.

“I have a vested interest,” he said.

Jones said the articles of incorporation have been written, and he hopes the Andalusia City Council will take action at its Aug. 4th meeting.

“Then we immediately must secure an architect and get some renderings, and plans in place,” he said. “We’ve got to have something to present to people.”

Superintendent Ted Watson said, “We are proud to have the facilities we have, but a lot can be improved.”

He said the stadium fence needs work, as as does the pressbox.

“The fact that we don’t have an on-site girls facility, is a problem,” he said. “The auditorium is also something we need to address.”