Perham schools delay tennis court project as playground work begins

Perham schools have delayed the tennis court project after a grading change, while playground work at the elementary school was already underway. The school board is also watching the property north of the courts, a sign that site drainage, neighbor access or ground levels are now part of the project’s timing and cost picture.

The change pushes back a project that had been planned as a summer reconstruction. Earlier plans called for eight new tennis courts and a playground upgrade, with long-term maintenance funding and a grant identified as possible funding sources. Later planning raised the tennis work to a $1.4 million upgrade that would include new concrete courts, fencing, lights, sidewalks and upgraded parking.

Hammers Construction won the tennis court bid with a $955,000 proposal, and Otter Tail County declined to pay extra for the Perham project while still supporting it. Those decisions matter now because grading changes can ripple through a site job, affecting contractor scheduling, how quickly the courts can be built and whether more money will be needed to keep the work moving.

The board has kept the playground project on a different track. Groundwork was set to begin on the new elementary playground addition, and equipment was to be ordered soon. That project was made possible by generous community donations, giving younger students and families a visible improvement even as the tennis work slows.

Perham schools first unveiled the broader facilities plan as a $1 million tennis court overhaul paired with an elementary playground upgrade, showing that the district intended to tackle both athletic and play-space needs at the same time. The current split screen, one project delayed by engineering concerns and the other advancing on the ground, shows how district construction can move at two different speeds depending on site conditions and funding.

For families, the practical question is which improvements will be usable first. The playground addition is moving ahead now, while the tennis courts will come later than the original summer target as the district works through the grading change and the concerns near the north side of the property.