Coaches ask to use soccer fundraising dollars for equipment and accessibility while team‑center plans continue

Coaches and staff asked the committee to authorize exploring expenditures from a soccer fundraising account for equipment and accessibility improvements while broader plans for a team center remain under development.

A resident speaker (S3) said the soccer community is “a little restless that the money's been sitting there for so long.” Presenter (S2) told the committee the soccer account currently contains about $106,000 and explained that the funds are held at the Waunakee Area Education Foundation and that the district would request reimbursement of approved purchases after expenditures are made.

Requested purchases discussed included training machines, an athletic‑trainer cart for hauling equipment between three fields, additional goals and nets, field branding, and security cameras; coaches also asked staff to explore better handicap parking near fields to improve access for families. Staff flagged that some items on the coaches' list might require facility committee approval or meet donor‑intent constraints.

Staff reminded the committee that a community survey and prior board workshop feedback would inform whether one or two team centers are ultimately recommended; the staff presentation said any final plan for team centers would not rely on new fundraising from sports booster groups.

No formal action to spend the soccer fundraising funds was recorded at the workshop; committee members asked staff to confirm donor intent and to bring recommendations back to the board as appropriate.