Lolli said the district hopes to be able to host the annual Edwin C. Moses track meet around the end of April and said the district is in talks with the Ohio High School Athletic Association to host some statewide games and events at the renovated stadium.
Members of the school board and executive team on Thursday were able to sign a beam that was lifted into the press box, which is being reconstructed.
“Our kids are going to be amazed,” said DPS Athletics Director Victoria Jones, of what the students will think when they see the field.
She noted the football teams were able to play on the field a little bit at the beginning of August, but she said teams will be even more impressed when they see the rest of the improvements.
Jones said facilities have been the “Achilles heel” for DPS, and with some other renovations to weight rooms, she said she hopes to retain more people to sports.
DPS school board President Chrisondra Goodwine said as a DPS graduate and former sports and band kid, it’s exciting to see the renovations.
“This is really the hub of everything that’s happening in athletics and entertainment in our city, right off 75,” Goodwine said. “So this is great for not only DPS, but the city of Dayton.”
Dayton schools have budgeted about $29 million for the renovations. Lolli said that has included a press box renovation, turf playing field replacement, updated locker rooms and a Walk of Fame. The stands were redone as well, with refurbished steps and new ramps for handicapped access. Lolli said the press box, spirit shop and concession stands will be updated with new technology. New security cameras will be installed around the stadium.
The district is still considering fundraising to build a second playing field and a field house, among other items, which would push the total cost to about $40 million.
The school district initially planned in 2019 to spend about $10 million on stadium renovations, but that changed.
The district received about $13 million from the Ohio Department of Education to settle a longstanding lawsuit over enrollment and funding, and that money was spent on the project.
Remaining funding included $9.25 million from federal COVID-19 funding and $6 million, approved last month, from the district’s capital improvement fund.
DPS Treasurer Hiwot Abraha said no cuts to education or other activities were made with that $6 million allocation because it came out of the district’s budget for building improvements.
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