Field House, Track, and Football Field
Overview
Athletics are recognized as a vital component in the educational and extracurricular programs provided within school systems at both the primary and secondary grade levels. Not only do athletics provide opportunities for physical fitness, they inspire teamwork, promote sportsmanship, build a competitive spirit, and instill a sense of pride that can extend from the school to the community. As such, in the Fall of 2022, the School Board for the Elizabethtown Area School District requested a feasibility study be conducted on the District’s athletic facilities. The scope of the study included athletic fields and outdoor facilities located on the High School / Middle School / Elementary School Campus. The primary goal of this study is to provide the Elizabethtown Area School District with recommendations that will enable them to provide the proper number of sports fields and facilities that are sized appropriately to accommodate the existing athletic programs and their future growth while maintaining a level of field quality that is both safe and suitable for practice and competitive play. From the feasibility study, the following recommendations were made by the administration to the school directors:
- Replacement of track and adjust layout.
- Replace natural grass playing surface on Thompson Field with artificial turf.
- Construct Field House to include better facilities for players and spectators.
- Add ADA-accessible entrance and improve EMS access.
As a result of the feasibility study recommendations, the school directors approved the preparation of a bid package for the recommended items in April 2023. The project went out to bid in August 2023. The school directors considered the recommendations and took action to approve the project in October 2023.
Timeline
- December 11, 2024 - Elizabethtown Area School District invited the community to an open house event celebrating the grand opening of the brand-new Athletic Fieldhouse, as well as the unveiling of the newly renovated track and football field.
- October 23, 2023 - EASD hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on the board-approved athletic facilities project (Groundbreaking Ceremony Details).
- October 10, 2023 - School directors approve moving forward with the project inclusive of installing artificial turf on Thompson Field, replacing the track surface, and constructing a 3-story field house. SPECIAL STATEMENT ON THE PROJECT
- August 9, 2023 - September 13, 2023 - District requested bids for the construction of a new athletic field house.
- April 25, 2023 - School directors approve preparation of the bidding documents for the athletic facility project.
- April 11, 2023 - Athletic Facilities Master Plan Full Report Presentation
- March 28, 2023 - ELA Group provides school directors with Executive Summary of completed Athletic Facilities Master Plan
- October 25, 2022 - School directors approve ELA Sport and Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates to conduct an Athletic Facilities Master Plan.
- October 11, 2022 - School directors begin conversations on Athletic Facility Considerations
Live Stream
- View 1 - Field House
- View 2 - Turf Field and Track
Construction Project Photos
- November 13, 2024
- June 26, 2024
- May 1, 2024 (Drone images captured by EAHS Tech Ed Class)
- April 26, 2024
- February 8, 2024
- November 16, 2023 (Drone images captured by EAHS Tech Ed Class)
- November 14, 2023
- October 23, 2023 (groundbreaking ceremony)
- October 19, 2023 (Pre-construction)
Presentations
- September 26, 2023
- August 8, 2023
- June 27, 2023
- May 23, 2023
- April 25, 2023
- April 11, 2023
- March 28, 2023
- October 25, 2022
- October 11, 2022