School Board Considers Design of New Athletic Complex at Francis Howell

Francis Howell School District may build a $2.4 million athletic complex at Francis Howell High School, but some board members have raised concerns about the safety of the site design.

The complex would include two baseball fields, a softball field and a football-sized practice field along with a bus lot capable of housing 50-plus buses.

Board Treasurer Mike Hoeh was concerned that the bus parking lot was so far from the entrance of the site. He raised the issue at the Thursday night Francis Howell Board of Education work session.

Hoehn said the layout of the complex is unsafe and that the bus route puts students at risk. He suggested moving the bus lot somewhere else, either on the current property of at a different District location. Adding to the lot at Central School was discussed, but traffic issues, cost and plausibility of the plan were brought up against the Board going in that direction.

 Board member Marty Hodits didn't think the plan was unsafe.

"The student safety issue is a smokescreen to me on the whole thing, he said.

Hodits said the only real time it would be an issue is during baseball and softball games when fans are in attendance. 

"Some parents have got be responsible for children," he said.

Board member Mark Lafata said that with the plan getting support from everyone in the administration, the Board should follow suit.

"It looks to me like we have a pretty good plan here," he said. "… I really like the recommendation that has been brought forth by the group of people we have paid. I don't think it's our job as the Baord to start monkeying around with the plan."

Lafata said the Board should trust that the bus drivers and high school students should be responsible enough, and smart enough, to be cautious when crossing the parking. He also suggested implementing a walking bridge to alleviate the issue. 

Layout Changes Considered

Other ideas tossed around called for extensive fencing to force people to enter the complex at a certain point. If that was done, the parking lot could utilize stop signs, speed bumps and other tactics to slow down the buses and raise awareness to pedestrians. 

Several alternate proposals that would have changed the layout were brought up, but none gained much steam. Several board members suggested alternating the layout of the fields to get the bus lot closer to Route 94, but Supple said that was tried and not everything fit. Supple said a variety of options were tried out in the developmental stage and in order to make sure everything fit in place, the lay out presented was the one that fit in the area. 

The work session ended with Board in agreement that the proposal should be put up for vote at the next meeting. If Board members don't like it, they can vote it down and the proposal will go back to the drawing board.

The athletic complex, if approved, would be paid for with bond money. The Board will vote on the on athletic complex at the Feb. 16 meeting.