Nov 25-- A lack of money, a federal law on gender equity, and local pressure is causing the Toombs County school board to take another look at partnering with the Vidalia board of education to build a sports stadium between Lyons and Vidalia. Even though voters approved a 1999 special purpose local option sales tax to finance the $2 million stadium, Toombs school superintendent Dr. Kendall Brantley says costs associated with building the new $10 million Toombs County Middle School are eating up the sales tax funds to the extent that Toombs County may have to withdraw from the stadium project. Secondly, Brantley says the cost of the stadium could put the Toombs school board in violation of the federal law on gender equity which provides that both males and females are provided parity when it comes to support of school athletics. Thirdly, he says the school board is getting lots of pressure from Toombs County High School supporters who want to keep the Bulldogs playing football at "The Pit" in Lyons.

At a meeting of the Three Rivers Stadium Authority Monday night, Vidalia mayor Ronnie Dixon said he was afraid the Toombs withdrawal from the project would amount to "misleading" voters who approved the special option sales tax four years ago. However, Lyons mayor John Moore says he only urged voters to vote for the sales tax because it was also earmarked for the new middle school. Meanwhile, the Vidalia school board has $1 million dollars in sales tax dollars earmarked for a stadium which may not be built. Vidalia school superintendent Dr. Tim Smith says he is exploring options ranging from a tax rollback/refund to using the funds to help finance a new Vidalia-only football stadium. The issue will be discussed at the December meeting of both school boards and reconsidered at the next scheduled meeting of the Stadium Authority on December 15th.