The Columbia School Board approved an intergovernmental agreement between the city of Columbia and the school district for the construction of a batting cage at Bolm-Schuhkraft City Park at last Thursday’s meeting.

Board member Ron Langhans expressed concern over the construction of the batting cage and was the only board member to vote against its approval.

“I’ve watched our current batting cage get used by all sorts of people,” he said. “I don’t want to see it used and abused by everybody and their uncle.”

Assistant superintendent Beth Horner said she thinks the construction of this new batting cage will help with that, given that Columbia will have first priority over its use.

“We’ll have first rights to it during the regular season,” she said. “But there will be no schedule for it.”

Superintendent Gina Segobiano said this will help the batting cage at Eagleview Elementary, too, because now people can be directed to the community one in the park.

Both softball and baseball teams, both JV and varsity, will be able to use the cage.

Horner said she doesn’t have any concerns over the new batting cage because it’s being funded by a grant and there won’t be any money out of pocket for the district.

“We will only have to pay for maintaining it over the years,” Horner said. “We have no financial ties to this except for upkeep.”

Langhans said he was still concerned with the cage being abused, but time will tell.

Horner said she sees it as “a win-win” for both the school district and the community.

Segobiano also announced that the security vestibule to be installed at the high school main entrance will be installed over Easter break.

“It’s been a process to get the requirements put through,” Segobiano said. “It’s going to be awesome when it’s done.”

The security vestibule construction is also funded through a school maintenance grant.

Columbia is nearly done with its withdrawal from the Perandoe Special Education District, with the Chester school district being the last to approve the withdrawal last week.

The district will have a standalone special education program in the fall. The district is currently in the process of interviewing and hiring staff for the program.

Also at the meeting, the board approved its 2015-16 school calendar.