LJWorld.com

• Email
• Comments (2)
• iPod-friendly
• Print

Two Lawrence school board members say the district likely will need to use Haskell Stadium for some football games this fall based on the tight timeline for possible renovations to fields at both high schools.

But they’re optimistic the district can move forward soon with a long list of projects to improve high school outdoor athletic facilities without seeking a bond issue or raising the capital outlay mill levy.

“It just really depends on all the legal papers that have to get signed and how fast they can turn their audit around,” said school board President Linda Robinson.

At their 7 p.m. Monday meeting, board members likely will choose an engineering firm to move forward with the projects. The district is looking to finance much of the work through a plan called performance contracting that rewards energy-efficient methods.

Before construction could start, the engineering firm would need to audit the prospective projects that could take about a month.

“I think that the reality is that it may be mid-fall before we could get into it, and it may not be until the following year,” Scott Morgan said.

On Friday, several board members said they were impressed with the $2.8 million plan — unveiled Thursday — to add artificial turf, bleachers and lights to track stadiums at both high schools.

The board also is looking at a more expensive, long-term project that would add artificial turf for other outdoor sports fields at the high schools and expand the LHS parking lot. They also would like to begin working on a $11 million backlog of elementary school projects.

“I think it’s a great plan. I think it solves the short-term, and then it allows us to be looking forward long-term,” board member Craig Grant said.

The plan also calls for using $2.4 million that was left over from the 2005 bond issue.

“A lot of those things eventually need to happen, but gosh, it’d be exciting to be able to begin this process,” board member John Mitchell said.

LHS also has a long tradition of playing football at Haskell Stadium. Next year, it will cost the district $5,000 per game to use Haskell Stadium.

Board member Marlene Merrill said even if the district doesn’t use the stadium, their ties go beyond football. For example, they provide training for teachers.

“That doesn’t mean that the connections between Haskell and Lawrence High stop if we stop playing football there,” she said.

Administrators also said this week that because Haskell has oversight from the federal government, there’s no guarantee the district could partner with Haskell for major stadium renovations in the long-term.

“We feel like it’s important to address our current needs and to invest the taxpayers’ dollars in school district property,” Robinson said.