Board members at Clearfield Area School District narrowly approved plans for a $1.7 million dollar project to replace the muddy grass field at Bison Stadium with a new turf field at a meeting on Monday night.

The decision followed three hours of presentations by Superintendent Thomas Otto, as well as mixed public comment from nearly three dozen taxpayers, parents and coaches.

Some residents voiced concerns about deteriorating school buildings and a dwindling tax base, but the board approved plans for the field renovations, as well as a nearly $200,000 project to replace the currently-unusable tennis courts.

“It really came down to the use that we’re going to be able to get out of this facility,” said Otto. “Not just for our students, but the whole community body.”


It was almost a year ago when the Clearfield Area School District school board approved a $34 million renovation and expansion project for the high school

The project will expand the high school into grades 7-12.

"I do agree that we need some of our field redone,but I think that we need to do it in a more economical way," said concerned resident Kim Koval. 

Koval is also a business owner in Clearfield County.

Koval said that she helps manage a sod farm locally, and she believes natural grass is the way to go. 

"We do need to do proper drainage on the football field. In doing that we need to put a natural grass surface, a sand-basedsod on that," said Koval.

Koval said that with the proposed $1.7 million project,which would purchase artificial surface, the school district is going the expensive route.

Koval said if the district went with natural grass, it would increase their savings by $400,000. 

"We've had the field up there for 30 years, it's never been replaced. In 30 years with artificial turf you're going to have to replace that field at least twice. That could be up to close to a million dollars," said Koval.

Otto believes the upgrade project would be a step in the right direction for the future of Clearfield school district and the surrounding community. 

"Our improvement in the athletic facilities will be an asset to the whole community. Many people can use the facilities like tennis courts, which is a lifelong-activity to expanding the community and offering the YMCA the use of our facilities," said Otto.

Neighbors said that with the recent announcement of the Shawville Generating station closing, 300-500 people can be out of a job, notonly because of the power plant closing but the spin-off jobs as well.

Koval said that once the plant officially closes more people will move out of the school district. 

"It doesn't make any sense to put in something that expensive and in 10-15 years have to replace it. We are not going to have the revenue," said Koval.