BETHEL, Ohio — Bethel-Tate Middle School celebrated the grand opening of its newly rebuilt tennis courts Friday morning despite rain, completing a renovation project funded by a national tennis grant and county development dollars, the Bethel-Tate Local School District said in a Facebook post.
Staff and students gathered for the ceremony, and the district thanked the Bethel Area Tennis Association, the U.S. Tennis Association and the Clermont County Board of Commissioners for their support in making the improvements possible, according to the post.
The project rebuilt three courts at the middle school with a new asphalt overlay, blended playing lines and chain-link fencing, according to the district. Work began in July, funded by a $59,090 grant from the USTA’s Tennis Venue Services program and a $60,000 commitment from Clermont County’s Community Development Block Grant program.
The Bethel Area Tennis Association secured the USTA grant through the Tennis Venue Services program, which funds court construction and renovation projects nationwide and has awarded more than $34 million since 2005, including more than $16 million in 2025 alone, according to the USTA. Reconstruction grants can cover up to half of a project’s cost, with a maximum award of $100,000.
The association is led by Director Lori Lenhart, who also serves as Bethel-Tate’s head boys tennis coach. The group has partnered with the district in recent years to offer youth tennis clinics on the courts.
The county’s $60,000 contribution came through its Community Development Block Grant program, which distributes federal funding to local infrastructure and housing projects. The Clermont County Board of Commissioners — President Bonnie Batchler, Vice President David Painter and Commissioner Claire Corcoran — approved the allocation.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Bethel-Tate Local School District.