Dixon Public Schools administrators have pitched a $3.2 million, multi-year plan to upgrade the high school’s outdoor athletic facilities.

The two major projects of the proposed plan, which the board is expected to vote on March 18, are to convert the high school’s grass football field to turf and resurface the track. The entire plan would be funded by certain existing district dollars that by law can only be spent on infrastructure and fundraising.

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Dixon High School Principal Jared Shaner (left) and Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Roger Fegan speak Tuesday, March 3, 2026, about hopes to update the athletic field at the school. Artificial turf, a renovated track, an updated ticket booth and video board are all possibilities. (Alex T. Paschal)

“This tonight is simply a presentation,” DPS Superintendent Margo Empen said at the Feb. 18 district board meeting. “We are gathering 10-year [facility] plans from all around the district to help us set what our priorities are. This is part of the 10-year facility plan, but instead of looking totally long term, what are things that are of most immediate concern?”

“The goal of this plan is really to modernize our athletic and site infrastructure on our campus at Dixon High School to start, while maintaining fiscal responsibility,” DHS Principal Jared Shaner said.

The need for upgrades

Beyond the football field and track, the project would include upgrades to the areas associated with those spaces on the DHS campus, including the entryway, press box, concessions, ticket booth and bathrooms. It would also include the construction of a video board, according to the proposed plan.

“There’s substantial wear and tear” on the track, DHS Athletic Director Roger Fegan said, referring to photos he presented to the board showing large cracks, holes and grass growing through in some spots.

Fegan said that about two years ago, during a track meet at DHS, a student from another district was running in a lane that had a crack in it.

“I was just standing there praying that he didn’t hit the crack and fall down,” Fegan said. “That’s one kid outside of our school. Our kids run on this every day.”

Fegan said repairs are made when needed, but the track is over a decade old.

“A complete replacement is definitely needed and warranted at this point,” Shaner said.

As for the football field, it’s a grass field that quickly gets worn out, “which causes us to have to limit the traffic that’s on there,” Fegan said.

Empen said that over a decade ago, the district moved DHS soccer games to Sauk Valley Community College. It’s also limited the gym classes and marching band from using the field and moved soccer and football practice to Reagan Middle School.

Resurfacing the field with turf would allow it to be used for various school and community events, along with many school sports and activities, such as cheerleading and dance, among others. It would also lighten the workload for district maintenance staff, Shaner said.

“Turf will allow us to use it, not only for extracurricular activities. It will allow us to bring our academics back onto this field as well,” Empen said.

Shaner said the other facilities associated with the field are outdated and easily overcrowded. Specifically, he said, there’s no heating system, which is problematic for the water pipes in the bathrooms and concessions.

“I think it’s well past time that we start paying attention to this. I really hope the community gets behind it. It is a huge source of pride for our community. Anybody who’s been to the field and to the facilities knows this is a long time coming,” District Board Secretary Melissa Gates said.

How will it be funded?

Shaner said administrators have been discussing these upgrades for over a decade, but until Lee County voters passed the 1% county facility sales tax several years ago, they didn’t have a way to fund it.

“Nobody’s taxes are going up. We’re just simply earmarking a piece of those dollars that come in every month for this specific project,” Shaner said.

By law, “county facility sales tax can be used for brick and mortar only,” Empen said. “We can’t move those funds into the education fund to be paid for salaries and benefits.”

Empen said that was important to emphasize because at the Jan. 14 board meeting, the district decided to implement a temporary hiring freeze. The freeze is intended to offset major federal funding declines and rising insurance costs that are impacting the district’s education fund, which pays for employee salaries and benefits.

The proposed plan asks the district to commit $2.2 million of those funds to the track and turf projects. It would be allotted over time, with $500,000 in the 2025-26 school year, $850,000 the next school year and another $850,000 the next year.

“We’re not writing a check for $2.2 million tomorrow. That’s two and a half years away. That’s a good sign,” DPS Business Manager Marc Campbell said.

However, it would limit the district’s opportunity to spend money on other infrastructure projects that may come up, Campbell said.

“You need to be all in on this,” Campbell said.

To fund the other aspects of the project, such as the press box and concessions, the plan proposes a fundraising campaign led by the DHS athletic department to raise $1 million. The campaign would launch July 1, 2026, and end July 31, 2027.

“What we’re looking to do is to really dive into our community. This isn’t a football field project. It touches every kid, every part of our community,” Fegan said.

Before voting takes place at school board meetings, the public is allotted time to voice opinions to the board. The next meeting starts at 6 p.m. March 18 and will be held at 1335 Franklin Grove Road in Dixon. All meetings are recorded and uploaded the next day on the district’s YouTube channel.