With the deadline approaching to commit to the Durango High School stadium remodel this summer, Durango School District 9-R staff will ask the school board Tuesday to authorize a low-interest multiyear loan.
The loan would be paid by pledges made by businesses, standing at $250,000, with more in the pipeline.
“It’s dangerous, and that’s why we’re pushing the project,” said Dan Snowberger, 9-R superintendent. “It’s not because we want a prettier stadium. The track has been unsafe for years, and the field has become so compacted, it’s a hard clay surface, and it’s not safe, either.”
A middle school student’s spine was broken last year after a tackle because of the hard field, Snowberger said.
The fundraising for $1.6-million Phase 2 of the three-phase project kicked off in October, with a target of beginning the upgrade the day after DHS graduation this year. The project will include a renovated stadium with artificial turf and a new track and other features.
The district has to confirm the contract with the contractor no later than the end of April so the project can be completed before the fall sports season, 9-R spokeswoman Julie Popp said.
If the board does not authorize the loan, the district must do remediation work on the field this summer. It costs at least $30,000 a year to keep the field in some sort of working order, Snowberger said, and the remediation work would cost between $30,000 and $50,000. The remediation funds would be another hit to the beleaguered district budget for 2016-17.
“We have to continue to add new topsoil because of erosion,” Snowberger said, “then we’d have to recrown and lay new sod and water the heck out of it. At best, it would be a short-term solution. At what point do we stop patching and get it fixed?”
And the district would have to fix it, he said.
“We can’t recognize it’s not safe and still play on it,” he said.
A few years ago, the district spent $63,000 to patch the track. The patch lasted about two years and is no longer reparable, said Dave Preszler, DHS activities director. One or two lanes are barely safe for training, and the high school conducts most of its training and hosts its home track meets at Bayfield High School.
“Bayfield’s been a great partner,” Snowberger said. “But having to have the team train other places is embarrassing, frankly. And it’s a huge inconvenience to parents who have to pick their kids up in Bayfield.”
The district allocated $900,000 to perform preparation work in Phase 1 of the upgrade. That’s all the district can invest in the project, the board said at the time of its approval. The money came from accrued contributions from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe that could only be used for capital projects. The prep work is complete.
The remainder of the funding must come from the community, and donations ranging from $10 to $25,000 have come in.
Savings from watering and maintenance of the grass field – it is a full-time job for one person throughout the summer and fall – as well as gate and rental revenues, will be saved to replace the artificial turf at the end of its 14-year lifespan, Snowberger said.
“And it’s important for people to know the artificial turf we selected does not use tire fill, it uses clay because we know parents are worried about health risks,” he said. “We chose the tightest weave, so it doesn’t even use much of that.”
One major misconception, Popp, Snowberger and Preszler said, is that the project is to provide new digs for the football team. Other groups that use it include lacrosse, soccer, marching band, physical and outdoor education classes and the cheer team.
“Historically, we have allowed community groups like local runners to use the track postseason, but because of the state of the track, we don’t feel comfortable having them on it,” Preszler said. “The new stadium will be used by a complement of people from Fort Lewis College to multiple other community groups like youth football. We think a new stadium with synthetic turf that’s usable much of the year will present revenue opportunities that we’ve never had before.”
While $1.6 million is a lot of money, it’s not going to be a Cadillac of stadiums, Snowberger said.
“We’re not trying to have something luxurious like the $57-million high school stadium being built in Texas,” he said. “We’re just trying to have a stadium that is functional.”
abutler@durangoherald.com
Why does the stadium matter?
People perceive the Durango High School stadium upgrade as a luxury that takes money away from classroom learning. But the money won’t come from the general fund.
Also, the stadium and its fields are important to academics, said Sheldon Keresey, former DHS activities director and current assistant DHS football coach.
“From my perspective, the stadium field and track are a classroom, and what kids learn from participating in activities that use them are skills that are important for them while they’re in school and important in life,” he said. “The research is clear on so many levels of the benefits.”
Employers have said that former athletes make the best employees, he said, and exercise does “great” things for brains.
“They’re more likely to do well on tests, and the engagement piece is great for kids,” he said. “They have to stay eligible, which means keeping grades and attendance up, and that motivates them and provides another connection to school.”
DHS Principal Leanne Garcia said she can’t stress enough the importance of the stadium to students’ academic success. Of the more than 1,000 students at the school, nearly 800 participate in athletics and activities, and another 100 or so who do not attend the school play on DHS teams.
“One goal of our instructional leadership team for next year is to make a focused effort through our advising program to engage every student in at least one extracurricular or co-curricular activity,” she said. “We know that they do better in school, and it definitely translates to higher four-year graduation rates.”
The upgraded facility, which would not require the rationing needed now to protect the fragile grass field, would allow for use by more school activities, including the popular Quidditch matches and the Zombie Days, rope and obstacle courses and assemblies and pep rallies to build school spirit.
“It sounds arbitrary, but for kids it makes a big difference when they feel connected to school, when they feel proud of their school,” Garcia said. “And when kids feel like we the community take an interest in them with nice facilities, with supporting things they are interested in, they want to be a part of it.”
abutler@durangoherald.com
To learn more
Visit http://demonfans.durangoschools.org and click on FAQ to learn more about the Durango High School stadium project.
Email getinthegame@durango.k12.co.us to discuss sponsorship options for the remodeled stadium.
In addition to being able to donate on the website, contributions may also be sent to the Durango Education Foundation, 201 E. 12th St., Durango, CO 81301, with “stadium” on the memo line.
The Durango School District 9-R board of education will consider authorizing a loan for the project at its meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the district boardroom, 201 E. 12th St.
