The Lawrence High School football team huddles up after the Friday, October 19, 2007, game against Free State High School at Haskell Stadium. School board members will consider options for improving high school athletic facilities without a tax increase or bond issue at their 7 p.m. Monday meeting at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive.

School board members tonight hope to begin crafting a game plan for improving high school athletic venues.

But before they write the playbook, board members first must address many questions.

What will become of both high schools playing football home games at Haskell Stadium?

Can the district avoid having Lawrence High School baseball, soccer and softball teams drive across town for practice?

How feasible would it be to install artificial surfaces on fields for different sports?

“This is like going to set out to paint the world. We just need to know what country to start with,” Superintendent Randy Weseman said.

At tonight’s school board meeting, administrators are scheduled to discuss LHS and Free State’s outdoor athletic facilities for football, baseball, soccer, softball and tennis. Then board members will hear cost estimates for a wide range of options – such as adding lights to Free State’s tennis courts, building baseball and softball fields at LHS and constructing a new district sports complex.

Many ideas will be on the table.

But it’s unlikely any concrete decisions will be made tonight.

Many options to consider

For the past month, administrators have been compiling costs for a variety of options they want the board to consider. At the same time, administrators have an eye on equity – between the two schools and between boys and girls sports, said Tom Bracciano, the district’s division director of operations and facility planning.

Unlike Free State, LHS has no baseball, soccer or softball fields for either practice or competition, and its teams use fields at Holcom Park or YSI Sports Complex. The district does have space for fields near LHS and the nearby former Centennial School, now home to the Lawrence Virtual School.

“We want to talk to the board members and the public about helping the students have practice facilities at their home schools, so they don’t have to be loading up their cars (to drive to practice),” board President Linda Robinson said.

While several board members last month mentioned trying to move away from playing home football games at Haskell Stadium, they did direct district administrators to begin talking with Haskell Indian Nations University leaders about partnering to improve the stadium.

Weseman said schedules have not allowed the two sides to meet yet, although they expect to talk today, before the 7 p.m. board meeting at district headquarters, 110 McDonald Drive.

Because both high schools and Haskell use the stadium, the grass takes wear and tear, particularly after heavy rains.

“It’d be nice to be able to use a facility that’s already here and much of the structure is there, but it certainly would take some improvements to continue there,” board member Craig Grant said.

Board member Scott Morgan has said he would support a new district stadium that could be home to both schools if a future agreement doesn’t work out with Haskell.

“I need to hear the numbers, and I need to hear what other board members are going to say,” Morgan said.

Balancing act

Some board members said it may be tricky to try to balance major athletic improvements against other needs in the district, including large-scale maintenance required at some elementary schools.

Weseman and Bracciano said they would be able to finance turf installation on several sports fields by using performance contracting, a way to finance projects by using energy-efficient materials or environmentally friendly procedures. The savings – for water, mowing and pesticides, in this case – can be written off to help pay for the projects.

Board member Mary Loveland said the board should be looking at venues that provide a good long-term investment for both schools and, later, a third school. Also, facilities should provide safety for all teams and spectators, she said.

“Basically what we’re getting into is the beginning of a conversation. I think there will be some things that we’ll be able to clarify,” Loveland said.