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Board directs staff to bring ‘Plan B’ field master plan to June meeting after walkthroughs reinforce urgent needs
Summary
After walkthroughs showed uneven field conditions and a five‑year forecast that includes roughly $140 million in capital needs, the Maine Township HSD 207 board signaled consensus to present Plan B for approval in June and asked staff to develop phased funding tiers and donor scenarios.
The Maine Township HSD 207 board on Tuesday reviewed an athletic field master plan and gave staff direction to bring “Plan B” to the June board meeting so construction planning can begin next summer.
Maryann, the district staff presenter, told the board that site walkthroughs reinforced the district’s grading assessment, highlighted stark differences in field conditions and acreage among campuses, and showed that some fields are overused and “have a significant number of bald spots” that impede growth. On the five‑year capital forecast, she said the district modeled Plan B as the baseline and estimated about $140,000,000 of capital work over the period, while noting several large unknowns — including the size and site of a potential cross‑transition building and outstanding utility (ComEd) interconnection costs that could add “a couple million dollars.”
Several board members, coaches and athletic stakeholders weighed in on priorities. One board member said, “I like Plan B a lot,” and another asked that staff prepare materials to address community questions about perceived disparities so the public rollout explains why certain campuses receive specific investments. Maryann said staff could prepare tiered fundraising scenarios: at a $2,000,000 threshold the district would prioritize bathrooms, at $4,000,000 add concessions, at $5,000,000 add seating areas and at $10,000,000 pursue all elements including a second turf field at the South campus. “If we get $2,000,000, we’re gonna do bathrooms. If we get $4,000,000, bathrooms and concession stands,” she said.
On solar, Maryann said the district had investigated feasibility but recommended pausing solar planning for now because urgent capital needs (fields, cross‑transition, roofs) take precedence and interconnection capacity may limit near‑term options. The board indicated support for moving Plan B forward to the June meeting, giving staff authority to continue community outreach and to present phased funding options.
Next steps: staff will prepare a June agenda packet with Plan B for board consideration, include fundraising/phasing scenarios and community‑facing materials explaining site selection and parity decisions.
