Haskell Indian Nations University leaders have agreed to begin talking with the Lawrence school district about improving Haskell Stadium – home of the university and city’s two high school football teams.

Lawrence Superintendent Randy Weseman made the announcement during Monday night’s board meeting when board members had a lengthy and wide-ranging discussion about improving outdoor athletic facilities for Lawrence High School and Free State High School.

“They were enthusiastic about having those discussions. We talked about sitting down and starting to talk about what-ifs,” Weseman said.

He met earlier in the day with Haskell President Linda Warner and athletic director Ted Juneau.

“It sounds like we’ll be sitting down with (district administrators) to see where we go,” Juneau said.

The talks will be one of many issues board members will consider because they directed Weseman to report back in coming months on options with costs for improving sites for football, soccer, baseball, softball and tennis.

“There is a unanimous opinion that we do want to move forward. Just how far we go really does depend on how much it costs,” board member Scott Morgan said.

To come up with the options, administrators will also work closely with athletic directors and coaches to talk about needs, Weseman said.

During the meeting board members discussed the state of facilities while trying to focus on equity between the two schools and boys and girls sports, such as adding lights to the softball field at Free State. Adding artificial turf through the finance tool of performance contracting was also a popular topic.

For discussion, administrators presented conceptual drawings with rough cost estimates for a district sports complex and to adding to each high school campus, such as building baseball softball and soccer fields at LHS and nearby with new tennis courts and more parking.

The district sports complex concept was modeled after one in the Partners for Lawrence Athletics and Youth study. Administrators estimated it would cost $21 million to build a football stadium and track, two baseball fields, two softball fields, a soccer field and four tennis courts, all with lights, plus restrooms, concession space and 2,878 parking spaces. That would be without buying land.

“I do think it’s real clear that we’re going to take care of the gender equity issues. That’s going to get done,” board President Linda Robinson said.

Board members decided to keep their options open for now, but many voiced concerns about having LHS teams, particularly, drive off-campus to practice soccer, softball and baseball.

Others mentioned planning down the road.

“I just think we have to be careful that any of our decisions don’t eliminate options in the future,” board member Mary Loveland said.

Two community members said several sports facilities don’t put the athletes on a level playing field with area schools.

“Quite honestly, it’s an embarrassment,” parent Bryan Wyatt said.

Morgan said, for football, having discussions with Haskell was important because of the history of LHS playing games there for decades. He also said he wanted options brought back to see whether a district sports facility could be merged with facility needs at elementary schools and for some junior high outdoor athletic needs. He also called a bond issue a “possibility” if board members could “challenge this community to look at a reasonable amount of money.”

“What we don’t know is who is willing to spend what to go the full distance and when,” Morgan said of board members.