Board looks at renovating stadium

The New Prague Area School Board will look at various options for renovating the Trojan Field athletic complex and other athletic facilities during its meeting on Monday, May 13. The district’s current football and track facility opened in 1978 and after 35 years the base of the track has deteriorated to the point that it needs reconstruction. At the same time, the district is looking to address other facility needs for soccer and a possible addition of lacrosse in the future.

The district’s current varsity soccer game field lacks fencing, permanent bleachers, lighting and a scoreboard.

The district asked Wold Architects to do a study on the district’s existing facilities and look at the possibilities and costs of various options, including widening the track, removing and replacing the light standards that are currently located inside the track and replacing them with four standards, and different options for turf, including synthetic turf.

The report also included cost estimates for a 40-acre athletic complex east of the high school that would provide additional space for soccer, baseball and softball fields and other uses. The report was presented to board members in January. The board discussed them at a workshop meeting at that time, and also at their April 22 meeting.

At that meeting, board members were looking at an option that called for a wider track and synthetic surface. While the cost would be higher for that option, it would also lessen the need for additional practice fields and eliminate the need to build a separate facility with lights and bleachers for varsity soccer games.

Board members will discuss the plans further at the May 13 meeting, and are looking for public input into the various options. They hope to make a decision on what options to pursue and whether to put the question to a vote in a bond referendum this fall.