Strasburg school leaders propose on-campus athletic complex
STRASBURG (WJER) (Feb. 13, 2023) – Strasburg-Franklin school families have been getting to see what the campus might look like in the future.
District leaders are envisioning a sprawling athletic complex behind Tiger Drive with a stadium, ballfields, and community center. Superintendent Vince Lindsey pitched the idea and shared a preliminary drawing during Thursday’s State of the District presentation.
“What if we started exploring across Tiger Drive so students do not have to leave this campus and ride their bikes or find a ride and cross Wooster Avenue. And the village is doing a great job of increasing safety. This isn’t anything about that. It’s about going outside a door and going to our facilities.”
It might sound like an ambitious and costly endeavor, but Treasurer Trevor Gummere is confident they can pull it off without asking for more tax money. Here’s what he’s proposing:
“When we do look for the money for this, it’s going to be new money, and it’s going to be new money in this capacity: When our bond is done with this building, and that is happening soon, we’re going to ask you to continue that bond – no new taxes – for an extended period of time.”
The next steps will depend on whether the community is on board with the plan. Lindsey says that’s what they’re trying to gauge with the survey they put on the district’s website and asked everyone to fill out after the presentation.
“What I showed you is not set in stone. It can be changed. It can be added to. You can do this. Absolutely… This is not the last conversation. This is the first. I’m just trying to crack open the door and see where it leads us.”
The district is already adding a multi-purpose facility to the campus with an indoor track, basketball court, weight room, and batting cages. It’s on track to open at the beginning of the next school year.