Administrator’s Corner by Afton Wacholz

The community of Albert Lea has an exciting opportunity ahead.  With the expiration of the current facilities bond on the horizon, the time has come to look at additional facility needs within the district.

On May 8, the polls will be open for our community to vote on a bond referendum to upgrade and improve school district facilities and athletic fields. These updates aim to improve safety and increase accessibility for our students, fans and staff, as well as enhance the overall experience for both male and female students participating in a broad range of activities, including football, soccer, cross country, dance team, basketball, baseball, softball, track, golf, marching band and physical education classes — not to mention the numerous opportunities in collaborating with Community Education, Albert Lea Family Y and the city of Albert Lea Parks and Recreation offerings.

The existing stadium has served ALHS athletics and our community well for almost 60 years.  During the last decade, deterioration of the stadium has been at a high and only annual repairs have been done to modernize the facility to meet current standards for wheelchair accessibility, restrooms and locker rooms. A field house that once housed only male football players is now home to football, boys’ and girls’ soccer, and boys’ and girls’ track, with a need for many more if the space was adequate. Storage space for equipment is extremely limited and the overall layout is unsettling for accommodating both males and females. 

If the school district takes a minimalist approach and attempts to address only the accessibility and locker room facilities an opportunity will be lost. The time for a comprehensive plan for the improvement and maximization of Hammer Complex has arrived.  The proposed plan of improvements will accomplish so much more than just building a football field.

Halverson Elementary School will benefit with a new gymnasium, humidity control will be installed at the high school gymnasium to allow for a comfortable environment for physical education classes, summer skills camps, early fall events and large community events, such as graduation. An artificial turf stadium field will expand opportunities for non-varsity athletes and youth programs to experience games on the stadium field, while inclement weather now prohibits its use so the natural turf playing surface can be preserved for varsity events. This would also allow many of our spring sports to move practice outdoors prior to spring melt. 

A facility of excellence is within the reach of District 241 voters on May 8. If the many components of this project were broken apart and completed individually, we would lose years of use and community benefit waiting for the pieces to come together. Due to the loss in economy of scale and the potential of price escalation of building materials, the district could spend more and get less as an end result. 

We look forward to contributing to the great things that are happening and will continue to happen in our community!

Afton Wacholz is the activities director for Albert Lea High School.