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Bozeman district approves up to $3 million to secure school priority use of new City sports park
Summary
The Bozeman School District board approved an MOU and letter of agreement with the City of Bozeman to fund sports-park improvements—including a 100+ space parking lot and at least one turf field—by purchasing a long-term right to use the facilities for up to the life of the improvements; the one-time district contribution is capped at $3 million and the city will own and maintain the facilities.
The Bozeman School District board on Dec. 9 voted 8–0 to approve a memorandum of understanding and letter of agreement with the City of Bozeman to construct shared sports-park improvements near Gallatin High School, including a 100-plus-space parking lot and at least one turf field.
District staff told trustees the plan calls for the city to own and maintain the constructed facilities while the district will pay a one-time contribution, not to exceed $3,000,000, from the high-school transition levy to secure priority use during school hours and for school events. "We would be purchasing the right to use them," said Mike Waterman, the district administrator presenting the proposal. The city is expected to design and construct the project and will finance a proposed mid-block crosswalk (about $150,000), which the district said must be in place before the facilities are authorized for school use.
The board was shown conceptual plans that place parking and a turf practice field north of Gallatin High. Waterman said the district’s contribution would be a one-time capital cost paid from nonrenewable transition-levy funds, not ongoing operating dollars. "We're matching a one-time cost with a one-time funding source," he said. Waterman also noted the district lacks staffing to manage and rent fields at scale, so city ownership would shift long-term maintenance responsibilities to municipal staff.
Trustees asked about crossing safety, traffic-calming measures and whether home games would move to Gallatin; Waterman said final use details (lights, bleachers, permanent versus temporary striping) remain to be decided and that the MOU primarily secures priority school use and access rather than fixes all operational choices. He said the city commission would consider a companion agreement the following day and that the parties expect to issue an initial $250,000 check to begin design work if both bodies approve.
The motion to approve the MOU and letter of agreement was made by Trustee Black and seconded by Trustee Lucine; Chair Neal announced the motion passed 8–0.
The district did not specify an exact construction contract or a final long-term operations agreement in the meeting packet; trustees were told more detailed MOUs and funding breakdowns would follow as design and contracts progress. Estimated completion was described as summer 2025 to be available for the school year.
What’s next: the City of Bozeman was scheduled to consider the city’s counterpart documents the next day, and district staff said it would return to the board with more detailed MOU language and final cost allocations as the design and procurement process advances.
