Little Chute Area School District raising money for new turf field

2021-12-27 09:35:21 By : Ms. Chris Lee

LITTLE CHUTE — The Little Chute Area School District is looking to give its football field a facelift that may make it more artificial, but will also make it much more functional for all students.

"Adding turf would provide flexibility with the programs that we can provide," director of activities Kelly Wallace said.

The district is looking to replace its football field with a multipurpose turf field that will serve students in more ways, from outdoor physical education classes to bringing soccer practices and games back to campus.

The fundraising goal for the project is $1.475 million, with almost $650,000 raised. 

"Any size donation matters," District Administrator Heidi Schmidt said.

If funds are secured by Feb. 1 — which Schmidt said she hopes will happen — the district will break ground in late spring or early summer.

Construction would occur throughout the summer and, if all goes according to plan, the field would be ready for use by the fall sports season in August. 

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The new field will be on the campus that includes Little Chute High School, Little Chute Middle School and Flex Academy, on the site of the current grass field.

About 2½ years ago, the district built a turf baseball field, Wallace said, so students have had the opportunity to play on that field and are excited for the new project.

Coaches are excited for the updates, too, but Wallace said the soccer coach may be the most excited of them all. The boys and girls soccer teams have been practicing and play at local parks, but there's a sense of pride with playing on campus, Wallace said.

There are also safety benefits because the district's athletic trainer will be able to serve students in one location rather than athletes being spread throughout the village.

Another student group that will benefit from the artificial grass is the marching band. Wallace said the band uses the current football field, but is sometimes limited by the ground conditions. 

The track surrounding the field is still in good condition, so it won't need updating, Schmidt said, but there are plans to extend the visitors bleachers section since the revamped stadium would allow more events.

When the district went to the school board with the idea for the new stadium, the board agreed to provide $200,000 of seed money, Schmidt said.

In the first few months of fundraising, there have been large donations from local partners. Unison Credit Union will have naming rights and the Bank of Little Chute will have signage because of the size of their contributions.

Donations can be made online or sent to Little Chute Area School District, 1402 Freedom Rd., Little Chute, WI 54140.

Reach AnnMarie Hilton at ahilton@gannett.com or 920-370-8045. Follow her on Twitter at @hilton_annmarie.