It’s good news that officials at Haskell Indian Nations University are enthusiastic about talking to local school district officials about how the two entities might work together on improvements to Haskell’s football stadium.

Forming a partnership to improve the stadium where Lawrence’s two high schools also play football would seem to have benefits both for Haskell and the school district.

Although playing at Haskell Stadium is a local tradition, especially for Lawrence High School, the facility does need upgrades, including the installation of an artificial surface. The current natural turf simply can’t stand up to the abuse of three teams playing in all kinds of weather.

The Lawrence district doesn’t want a high school facility that is, as some people claim, “an embarrassment” to the community. On the other hand, is it realistic for Lawrence to finance facilities comparable to those in the Topeka or the Kansas City area where those facilities are supported by much larger tax bases?

School district officials must balance many interests as they look at options for improved sports facilities. A central complex for school sports is appealing, but concentrating resources on a central complex might compromise the district’s ability to provide new onsite facilities that are needed to provide equal sports opportunities between the two high schools and for female as well as male students.

There also may be a community interest in working with Haskell on this project. High school football games may be the only time many Lawrence residents ever set foot on Haskell’s campus. Haskell’s new president seems eager to reach out to local residents in a number of ways. Working with the local district to find donors or other funding for stadium improvements that also will greatly benefit Haskell students would be a great way to partner with the community.

Which naturally bring us to the interest of local taxpayers. As much as most local residents support the Lawrence school district, many are starting to feel the financial pinch. Asking voters to fund some new need with a bond issue every two to three years is wearing some taxpayers down.

School officials are right to study all of the possibilities, but, given the current taxpayer fatigue, taking a hard look at partnering with Haskell on stadium upgrades and using other district resources to upgrade onsite facilities may be the most practical approach for now.