Shippensburg High School athletic field, track to get $5.5 million in upgrades
Shippensburg Area High School is taking the first steps in what is expected to be a long-term athletic renovation project.
At a school board meeting in April, the board approved plans to allow K&W Engineers to finalize design plans for a renovated athletic field on the campus.
The renovation plan includes: A new synthetic turf field, a new six-lane track, new grandstands with ADA access, a new press box, new field-event paving, new football goalposts, new soccer goals, a new scoreboard, new fence and accommodations for future projects.
"Our track is long past its life span and needs to be replaced desperately," superintendent Bill August said.
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The new field will benefit the soccer, field hockey and track programs, as well as physical education classes and marching band rehearsals.
August expects the renovation to be completed by September 2024. The estimated cost of the project is around $5.5 million. The district has set aside funds as a part of its construction debt to help with the cost, but there is also a tax increase as a part of the approved budget for 2023-24, with the renovation plan factored into that budget.
With construction set to take place over the next year, teams will need to potentially play at Memorial Park or even Shippensburg University.
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August said that this plan is just the first step when it comes to athletic improvements, and it is just a part of a "wide variety of facility needs across the district." Plans involving certain aspects of the high school and elementary schools are also in the works.
An on-campus football stadium has been a topic of conversation for many years. The Greyhounds will continue to play their games at Memorial Park for the immediate future, after the school and borough agreed to a two-year contract. But August hopes that a new stadium is in the near future.
The district hired an Executive Director for the school and its foundation in hopes of finding local and corporate sponsors to fund potential stadium plans, and it has looked at how other schools have handled potential grant money or naming rights opportunities.
"This is the first phase and none of it happens without this first step," August said. "It sets us up to have those conversations with different agencies and businesses and to see what they're willing to do in exchange for some naming rights and recognitions. There's some models that we're using to help close that gap and get where we need to get to."
It's the beginning of a process that's been years in the making, and while the plan is to continue these types of project, August knows the district has to stake a balance with its relationship with the borough and the importance of Memorial Park.
"It's been good to get some movement on this," August said. "I know it's been something that's been in the community for a long time, and we've definitely taken some some solid steps to move forward. And at the same time being respectful of our traditions and relationships and doing our best to navigate that because we are one community. And so that's important."
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Shippensburg High School to begin athletic renovation project
