Just hours earlier, his Juniata boys tennis team had stunned Class 3A Mifflin County with a 3-2 victory — the kind of upset small-school programs don’t take for granted. But as he sat in the audience and listened to the Juniata County School District Board of Directors approve long-awaited plans for new tennis courts at Juniata High School, the day shifted from memorable to monumental.

“This is the biggest thing they could do for the program. Night and day difference,” said Aurand after the meeting at the administration building in Mifflintown. “Without a shadow of a doubt, the kids have felt like the school and the school board didn’t care about the program. That mental effect will now be gone.”

Aurand, a 2013 Juniata graduate now in his third year as head coach, knows the condition of the courts better than anyone. He played on them more than a decade ago, and they were already deteriorating. “The base layer itself is cracked too deep. It’s literally unsalvageable,” he said. “And the fences were too close on the sides and front to back back then.”

The board selected the $396,643 renovation option from Sport Court of Pennsylvania, based in Mohnton, Berks County. The plan includes demolition of old fencing and posts, erosion controls, expanded earthwork, installation of new net posts and nets, paving, grading and drainage improvements, a four-coat acrylic color system and 10-foot black vinyl-coated fencing with four pedestrian gates.

The current courts are filled with cracks that make playing difficult.

The project will fully rebuild and expand the existing courts, giving the program a regulation-ready facility for the first time in years.

A timetable for the construction project was not mentioned at the meeting.

For Aurand, the upgrade is more than a construction project. It’s a turning point. “Four new facilities, bringing in junior high kids, training them early on — it’s going to allow us to take this to the next level,” he said.

Aurand would love to field separate boys and girls teams at Juniata, which has long operated as a co-ed program. “As long as I can remember, we’ve been one full co-ed team,” he said.

The current No. 1 player is sophomore Sylvi Gaisior, one of several young athletes Aurand believes will benefit immediately from the improved courts.

The current courts are filled with cracks that make playing difficult.

Each team needs at least seven players to compete, and Aurand said the new facilities will help with recruitment, development and retention. “Words can’t explain how massive this is for the program. It’s a great day,” he said. “This is great for these kids. They deserve it. They’ve been working hard year-round.”

The boys season ends in early May unless a player reaches the state tournament later that month, while the girls compete in the fall. A dedicated four-court setup will finally give both teams the space and scheduling flexibility they’ve lacked for years, eliminating the bottlenecks and practice conflicts that have long defined the program.

“Beating a 3A school and then hearing this news on the same day — it’s unbelievable,” Aurand said. “Pretty darn good day.”

Roof replacement at East Juniata High School

The school board approved a $994.996.47 proposal by Weatherproofing Technologies Inc., based in Beachwood, Ohio to replace the roof at East Juniata High School.

Bid process for Mountain View sale proceeds

The school board approved the authorization to initiate the bid process for the sale of the former Mountain View Elementary School property.

TIU budget approved

The school board approved the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit’s 2026-27 fiscal year general operating budget for $3,891,669.

Next meeting

The school board’s next meeting will be on Thursday, April 16, starting at 7 p.m. Meetings can be viewed online by visiting www.jcsdk12.org.