Ridgway school seeks town support for $3 million turf field and track

Ridgway — The Ridgway School District asked the Town Council on April 10 for a letter of support and a $5,000 partnership contribution to help secure grants for a proposed turf soccer field and track at Ridgway Secondary School.

Shawn Roe, speaking for the district, said the existing athletic field has been unusable since 2020 “after the irrigation system broke” and outlined a two-phase plan to install a turf field and track that would allow the district to host games and track meets. He estimated project completion at $3 million and said about 30% of the cost “has already been pledged from agencies and grants.” Roe told the council the district hopes to begin construction in spring 2025 and to host the first game in August 2025.

The request to the council included a letter of support for grant applications and a $5,000 donation “to show your partnership,” Roe said. Councilmember Josey Scoville moved to provide a letter of support; Councilor Kroger seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

Nut graf: The project would address a multi-year loss of usable field space at the secondary school, support roughly 40% of students who play soccer and a 31-member track team that must currently travel 40 minutes for weekly practices. The district frames the project as complementing, not competing with, the Athletic Park soccer fields.

Council discussion touched on funding and timelines but did not commit the town to the requested donation. Councilors cited community benefit and the potential to host events locally; the council voted only to provide the letter of support and to discuss any funding request separately at a later date.

The district presentation included student and school board comments in support; no formal funding decision was made at the April 10 meeting. The council’s next steps are to supply the requested letter and schedule consideration of any financial contribution during upcoming budget discussions.