Baldwin County plans to put more than $42 million dollars into athletic programs at its seven high schools in a massive renovation plan that also includes improvements in fine arts facilities and other areas of need.

The plan was approved last week. The financing comes in part from the money Orange Beach paid to separate from Baldwin County Public Schools and also from sales tax revenue.

“We could not be more excited for what is to come with Baldwin County Public Schools,” superintendent Eddie Tyler said in a statement to AL.com. “This new capital improvement project is something that is unheard of. Where else can a principal and athletic director be asked to make a wish list of things they want on their campus and, for the most part, be approved to the tune of $6 million per school? Some are even getting more than that with band and Fine Arts upgrades. It’s truly an exciting time for our staff and our students, and we can’t wait to see it all completed.”

The total cost of the plan, including band and music room expansions and parking/campus reconfigurations, is $57,236,928. Athletic enhancements comprise $42,236,928 of that.

“I think those improvements are tremendous for what they will do for athletes in this county and athletics in general in this county at every school,” Foley football coach and athletic director Deric Scott said. “Every school is going to have an opportunity to go in and improve their facilities and make them on par with a lot of the facilities in the state. It’s tremendous. That amount of money and resources is sorely needed. I’m thankful to our system for allowing us to improve our facilities.”

The plan calls for new gymnasiums at six of the seven public high schools in the county. The only exception is Spanish Fort, which completed construction on a new gym in the last two years.

“For a long time, they haven’t really invested this kind of money into athletics obviously because it’s a substantial amount,” Elberta AD/football coach Nate McDaniel said. “For them to show that commitment to athletics and put that money in is a true blessing.

“Here at Elberta we are such a new school. When I got here, we had a 20 X 20 building that was a lockerroom, a weight room, everything. It would have been impossible to raise all the money to change that, but they saw the need here and at other places. It just shows a continuing commitment for Baldwin County schools to function at a high level across the board, and that’s important.”

The Board has agreed to move forward with the project and bids should start within the next month or so, communications coordinator Chasity Riddick told AL.com. Projects are expected to take 2 to 2 ½ years to complete.

“It’s a tremendous day, especially for the young people of the Foley community and what those resources will do for their future. Tremendous,” Scott said.

In addition to the new gymnasiums, here are the other scheduled athletic improvements by school:

Baldwin County High

New multipurpose athletic training room

New football field house

New weight equipment

Total cost: $6,029,819

Daphne High

New field turf for football field

New covered athletic facility

Total cost: $6,010,000

Elberta High

New 2,500 seat bleachers, press box

New Toilet building

New field turf

New multipurpose athletic training room

New weight equipment

Total cost: $6,006,470

Fairhope High

New multipurpose athletic training room

New weight equipment

Total cost: $6,014,240

Foley High

Girls field house addition/equipment

New weight equipment

Baseball field house

Football stadium repairs

Main campus athletic improvements

Payoff athletic improvement loan

Storage building for practice fields on campus

Total cost: $6,030,000

Robertsdale High

New multipurpose athletic training room

New weight equipment

Total cost: $6,087,447

Spanish Fort High

New weight room addition

Renovation to existing field house

New track surface

Drainage improvements on practice field

New baseball lockerroom/concessions

Enclosed batting cages

Turf football field

New lights for football stadium

New weight equipment

New wrestling building/visiting lockerroom

Total cost: $6,058,952