FORKS — When the Spartan football team plays its first home game in September, it will not only have a new playing field, but also a new scoreboard to keep track of its touchdowns.
A groundbreaking ceremony is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the field, located behind Forks High School, 261 S. Spartan Ave., said Diana Reaume, district superintendent.
The Quillayute Valley School Board unanimously accepted a $40,000 donation for a new Spartan Field scoreboard on Monday.
The donation for the purchase and installation of the scoreboard is from the Lloyd J. Allen charitable trust.
“It’s an upgrade from what we have,” Reaume said.
Lloyd Allen was the founder of Allen Logging Co., which operated from 1955 through June 2015 near the Hoh River and was the last lumber mill in the West End when it closed.
In February the initial offer of a donation was announced, but the final dollar amount of the scoreboard was not yet known at that time.
The initial estimate was $20,000 to $30,000 for a scoreboard.
In addition to the scoreboard, the district will spend $1.25 million this summer to install a new athletic playfield at Spartan Stadium
Designs for the field, which will shed water instead of absorbing it, include the addition of a stormwater-retention pond on district property.
Spartan Field, which often becomes a muddy morass, is located behind the high school at 261 S. Spartan Ave.
Field Turf, a company that manufactures and installs artificial turf fields, was contracted for the design phase.
Construction is scheduled to be complete by Sept. 1, Reaume said.
The district’s 2016-17 school year is scheduled to begin Sept. 1, and the first Spartans football game is scheduled for Sept. 2 against Vashon Island.
In 2014, the Quillayute Valley School Board earmarked $1 million in funds for improvement of the athletic facility.
In May 2015, the city of Forks applied for a grant in collaboration with the school district through the state Recreation Conversation Office.
The city was awarded a $250,000 state Youth Athletic Facilities grant to help replace the field — funds that can be used only for field replacement or must be returned to the state.
Spartan Stadium
The school district and city are also seeking the replacement of the aging, dilapidated Spartan Stadium, which is also expected to cost $1.25 million.
Spartan Stadium, built in 1960 by the Forks Lions Club, is located behind the high school.
The stadium is heavily used for football and soccer in the fall, for track and field events in the spring and by the youth baseball league during the summer.
The stadium’s cement base is crumbling, its roof is rusting and flaking, and some of the wooden support beams are rotting, district officials have said.
The estimated cost for a basic replacement stadium without concessions or restrooms is $850,000.
The addition of concessions and restrooms would raise that estimate to $1.25 million.
City officials can apply for a $500,000 state grant to help with the stadium, but the district or city must have matching funds to qualify.
There is no guarantee the district will be awarded the grant, district officials have said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
