Eyewitness News investigates the cost of a new high school football stadium. Washington Union's John Ventura Stadium cost $12.5 million dollars. Washington Unified School District spend more that half its recently passed bond money to build it.
The quiet town of Easton is home to about 2,000 people. It's also the home of one of the most expensive recently built high school football stadiums in the Central Valley. It was the first project completed with Measure W money.
"A football stadium, athletic facility, is something used by every facet of the community, not just the 9-12 population," said Joey Campbell, Assistant Superintendent of Washington Unified School District.
The stadium opened in time for the Panthers last home football game of the regular season. Those in attendance liked what they saw.
"It's wonderful, it's beautiful. I love it. I wish they would have made it when I was here," said one former football player.
But at least one member of the community questions the price tag.
"I wanted to see nice athletic facilities like anyone else. I didn't expect a palace," said Craig Habib, who lives in the district and voted for the bond measure.
The stadium seats about 4,500 fans, which is double the town's population. Washington Union's enrollment is about a thousand students. Kingsburg High School is about the same size. It built its new stadium in 2008 for $6 million dollars. Liberty, in Madera Ranchos, has about 600 students and its stadium cost $4.3 million to build in 2010.
Campbell says the school board considered a less expensive option, but chose to go big.
"If we're going to spend multiple millions of dollars on a facility, we should build a facility that will be good for a hundred years and anticipate growth in the community," said Campbell.
The community passed Measure W, a $22 million bond, last November. The ballot language says money will pay for modernizing old buildings and improving safety, as well as update athletics facilities. Habib says academics should have come first.
"I think that we all need to access our priorities," said Habib.
The district says construction of classroom updates and fire safety zones will begin next spring. Academic improvements are budgeted for $6.6 million. Finally, new baseball and softball fields will be built at a cost of $5 million. Another $5 million is budgeted for things like architect fees. The district has a total of $30 million for modernizing the high school campus, and over half the money is being spent on athletics facilities.
The school board made the decisions on the projects with the help of an oversight committee. All construction should be complete in about three years.