The Kingsville Independent School District Board of Trustees unanimously approved funding for the installation of lights at the Mo Pac field at a regular meeting held Tuesday night at the Administration Building Board Room.

Lighting installation costs were projected to range from $140,000 to $160,000. The soccer team plays in Bishop because the Mo Pac Field, located near the KISD bus barn, at 631 W. Kenedy, lacks sufficient lighting, officials said. KISD Athletic Director Robert Wilcox said the district pays transportation costs and rental to the Bishop school district.

Prior to the vote, KISD Assistant Superintendent for Support Services Karen Griffith discussed the H.M. King High School Athletic Facility Master Plan. Todd Brendalen, with the architect firm Lamarr Womack and Associates, conducted the presentation. The architectural firm is in charge of building the new H.M. King High School facility. Some of the trustees have previously expressed an interest in having a stadium built at the existing high school.

Brendalen presented the sports complex design concept to the board. The sports complex would be located near the high school. The sports complex would include a new gym, a soccer field and two football fields. The facility could make it possible for additional parking space and room for more spectators.

“This is just a concept in a future plan,” Griffith said. “We do have the space and capability.”

KISD could be elgible for funding in two years, Griffith said.

KISD has a five-year lease contract with the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Javelina Stadium and track facilities for some high school sports.

In other presentations, Lou Wilson, the KISD health and wellness coordinator, presented the School Health Advisory Council Report. She presented facts and statistics on areas of health issues that concern students’ health and welfare.

Wilson said 865 students in the first, third, fifth and seventh grades were screened for hearing and vision in the fall.

“Of these students, 28 to 29 percent are at risk for the development of Type II diabetes,” Wilson said.

The nurse said letters were sent to parents to inform them of these results.

“We have children who weigh 100 pounds in the first grade and 150 pounds in the second grade,” she said. “We try to tell parents to reward children in other ways besides food.”

Wilson also spoke about dental care and said 739 students up to the sixth grade received free dental care throughout the school year. The total cost of the dental care would have been $100,850.

She also said 37 students received financial assistance to obtain eyeglasses. Wilson later said the state requires students to be screened for health, vision and diabetes.

Wilson said one concern at this time is finding a physician or physicians who would volunteer for physical exams for athletes on May 17. She said health cuts have hurt physicans’ reimbursements.

She also reported on a “Biggest Loser” contest at the high school in which the participants are weighed every week. Initially, 39 employees and five students joined the contest. The contest began Jan. 9 and ends May 14.

Another presentation made at the meeting was a curriculum audit report made by David Castro. He presented the recommendations for a consistent implementation and monitoring of the district wide CSCOPE curriculum. Castro was recently hired as curriculum director.