Plans to potentially install artificial turf at Iola USD 257 school district’s football field moved forward this week after board members approved issuing an Request for Proposal (RFP).
Superintendent Stacey Fager told board members the process represents the culmination of years of evaluation, planning and partnership exploration aimed at improving opportunities for students and the community.
The turf project traces back to discussions that began several years ago when the board identified facility upgrades as a priority.
Fager noted improving baseball and softball facilities became a priority following a board retreat three years ago. That objective eventually led to a wider examination of district facilities and potential partnerships.
At one point, the district consulted with Mammoth Sports Construction to evaluate possible sites and partnerships, including collaboration with the City of Iola on the possibility of a joint project at Riverside Park.
Those discussions eventually led to applying for an Environmental Protection Agency grant that could have supported a large-scale water mitigation and field project.
According to Fager, the grant would have funded a significant portion of the work.
“The project would have cost $3.2 to $3.4 million, but that grant could have paid for a little over $2 million of that,” Fager said.
Though the grant was submitted, participants never received a response following a change in federal administrations. Afterward, the city declined to pursue a scaled-back version of the project, allowing the district to explore other options independently.
Attention then shifted toward strengthening partnerships with Allen Community College. The Iola school district already utilizes Allen’s facilities for baseball and softball. Fager said an artificial turf football field could expand shared opportunities between the two.
“It would benefit not only youth football, but our middle school program, high school program, and practicing down there,” Fager said.
“And we could put soccer lines on there for possible practices for Allen on that field. And for adverse weather conditions, maybe they could utilize it even for contests, if that materialized.”
THE DISTRICT and college have discussed a memorandum of understanding outlining how shared facilities could operate.
Fager confirmed an agreement draft is prepared. “We’re ready to go forward,” he said. “And to me, it’s been a long time coming.”
Board member Dan Willis said conversations among the district, city and college date back to August 2023. He noted Allen Community College’s athletic scheduling would likely minimize conflicts if shared use occurred, explaining the college intends to keep most home contests on its campus.
“They want to play as many home games as possible at Allen Community College on their field that they have there,” Willis said.
