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Community presses Erie schools to fix Ainsworth Field; staff present $3.2M phase-one and $9M full renovation estimates
Summary
Families, coaches and students urged the district to renovate historic Ainsworth Field and add tennis courts; assistant superintendent presented an HHSDR estimate for full renovation (~$9M) and a two-phase plan with phase-one costs of about $3.22M, noting Title IX and funding trade-offs.
Dozens of students, parents, coaches and longtime volunteers told the Erie school board that Ainsworth Field’s playing surface and tennis courts are unsafe and limit athletic participation, and they urged the district to pursue a renovation that could include turfing and improved drainage.
Assistant Superintendent Neil Brockman briefed the committee on recent, incremental work since 2024 — city grading and reseeding, backstop padding and netting replacement, county fence repairs and cleaning — and described the results of a feasibility effort. The RFP for a feasibility study produced a single submission that exceeded what the board was willing to pay; district partners and HHSDR later assembled an estimate for complete renovation at roughly $9 million.
Brockman described a phased approach: a phase-one package (~$3.22M) to address the field surface and critical safety items and a phase-two package (~$5.7M) for grandstand and tennis-court restoration. The estimate includes options for turfing (infield turf approximately $375,000; outfield turf roughly $1 million) and a renovation versus replacement decision for historic grandstands (restore ~ $3M or replace with metal stands ~ $1M). He emphasized that Title IX considerations mean comparable work would likely be needed on the district’s softball facilities (Harding) if the board invests significantly in Ainsworth.
Students and coaches described season disruption and safety risks: canceled games and practices, postponed matches, indoor-only practices, and erratic ground-ball behavior that increases injury risk. Parent-coach Mike Mone reviewed the 2026 baseball season statistics (14 postponed games, five practices canceled and multiple indoor practices) and urged a turf field to reduce weather-related cancellations and recurring maintenance costs.
Board members pressed administrators on funding options, including a potential property-tax increase, pursued grants, private philanthropy, and a restart of the athletic-facilities commission. Several directors supported an ad hoc committee to explore grants, partner fundraising and lower-cost stopgap repairs (bathroom cleaning, regular mowing) while larger funding is pursued. One board member pledged to discuss stadium issues with the mayor and report back.
Next steps: administration committed to bring refined cost options, a phasing plan and Title IX-comparison estimates to the June 24 meeting and to pursue grant opportunities and community partnerships.
