Dixon Public Schools' administrators received board approval Wednesday for their $3.2 million, multi-year plan to upgrade the high school’s outdoor athletic facilities.

The school board voted unanimously to approve the $2.2 million contract proposal to replace Dixon High School’s grass football field with turf and resurface the track. DHS’s principal and athletic director pitched those upgrades, and their plan to raise $1 million for the project, at the board’s Feb. 18 meeting.

The fundraising would be for other upgrades to areas associated with the track and field, including the entryway, press box, concessions, ticket booth and bathrooms along with installing a video board.

[ Dixon High School administrators propose $3.2M in upgrades to high school outdoor sports infrastructure ]

“I think the biggest selling point for me was that this is something for all students,” School Board President Linda Wegner said Wednesday.

During February’s presentation, DHS Athletic Director Roger Fegan explained that because the football field is grass it gets torn up quickly and the school has to limit its use, which means other sports teams, gym classes and activities must go elsewhere.

Superintendent Margo Empen said Wednesday that the district received a lot of questions as to why they wanted turf when the National Football League is moving away from it due to safety concerns. She explained that while “freak accidents” can occur, high school football teams don’t hit as hard as professional players.

Turf would allow many sports teams, gym classes and marching band, among others, to regularly use the field and it could also be used for various school and community events. Another plus is easier maintenance, Empen said.

“It’s not just about our football team. There’s so many things that are going to happen on that field,” School Board Secretary Melissa Gates said.

To fund it, the district plans to use money it already annually receives through the 1% county facility sales tax, which Lee County voters passed several years ago. Portions of the revenue will be allocated over three years.

“This is not coming out of the ed [education] fund where salaries and benefits are paid out of,” Empen said.

That was important, she said, because the district decided Jan. 14 to temporarily stop hiring to offset major federal funding declines and rising insurance costs impacting the education fund, which pays for employee salaries and benefits.

By law, that county tax revenue can only be used for school infrastructure projects, Empen said.

The work will be completed by Byrne and Jones, a sports construction company that Fegan said has done many recent Sterling Public School projects. The board’s approval Wednesday gives that company the go-ahead to put together a fully detailed contract, which will also go to the board for approval.

“This does not have to be bid out, because they’re part of a consortium,” Empen said, referring to the district’s usual process of getting proposals from multiple companies and selecting the lowest cost offer.

Empen noted that other athletics are being kept in mind as part of the district’s 10-year facilities planning – specifically, how to handle baseball, softball and tennis activities that use Dixon Park District facilities.