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Millersburg Area SD committee pitches $1M-plus stadium upgrade, seeks sponsors and leftover bond funds
Summary
A stadium subcommittee asked the Millersburg Area SD board to approve a three-part renovation — lighting, grandstands/press box and track/field — proposing roughly $1,000,000 of district funds plus borrowing and outside sponsorships; formal board action is expected in December.
A stadium subcommittee presented the Millersburg Area School District board with a three-part renovation plan and urged the board to move quickly to approve funding and design decisions.
The committee proposed completing three packages together — new lighting; replacement grandstands and a press box; and a rebuilt track and grass field — arguing that doing all elements now preserves opportunity and lowers the chance the district will never complete certain pieces later. "We, as a subcommittee ... would love to see all 3 be done," a committee member said during the presentation.
Why it matters: committee members said the project is time-sensitive because of available funds that must be spent and because rebuilding the field and track together affects site design. The subcommittee estimated a district contribution of about $1,000,000 and proposed borrowing the rest; presenters said additional funds could come from leftover bond proceeds, ESSER-related allocations used in the elementary project, insurance receipts and corporate sponsorships.
District staff described the district's recent elementary project reconciliation and available sources. "The proposal that Jamie gave you was us putting up 1,000,000 and borrowing the rest," the staff member reported, noting extra interest earnings and insurance receipts that have improved the district's available balance but that final project figures remain provisional until vendor quotes and final pay applications are received.
Committee members and staff also described outside funding and cost-reduction possibilities. Representatives said MidPen Bank discussed potential sponsorship support and that a $100,000 request would be considered a large ask; the committee also expects $50,000 from Senator Rothman’s office and intends to pursue local business sponsorships and naming opportunities on items such as scoreboards and press-box signage. The committee also raised the option of donating and removing existing visitor-side bleachers to reduce demo costs; staff estimated demolition and recycling would lower project costs by roughly $36,000.
Board members asked whether the upgrades would allow the district to host larger events and whether community use (evening walking access) would be feasible. The athletics and facilities presenters said the upgrades would improve conditions and could make the site more attractive for meets and tournaments, but cautioned that the single-field scale limits large-event potential and that exact hosting capacity would depend on final specifications.
Next steps: Committee leaders said they expect to place a formal stadium funding and construction item on the board's December agenda for a vote and requested questions from board members in the coming weeks. No binding decisions were made at the discussion.
Provenance: Topic introduced SEG 423; most recent related discussion SEG 1239.
