District concerned about stadium parking issues
Schools working with city to mitigate problem
District officials are looking to find better parking alternatives at Art Wright Stadium. Submitted photo
WADSWORTH – School district officials are mulling some alternative parking options for home football games after low turnout toward the end of the Wadsworth High School football season.
For the last couple of home games, parking on the south side of Art Wright Stadium was closed due to recent rain and soggy grass conditions. The north parking lot was open for those who required handicap parking, but other spectators were asked to park at Wadsworth High School. The district ran shuttle buses to and from the stadium.
Superintendent Andrew Hill said the shuttling with buses helped, but there was a decrease in revenue at the gates during the last few games and the crowds were much smaller than usual. While he believes weather conditions could have been a factor, he added that he believes at least a portion of the decrease was due to the parking situation.
For the last few years, the district has been shuttling the football team, band members and cheerleaders to the stadium which costs the district roughly $1,000 per game. Shuttling spectators from the high school doubles that cost per game.
The school district owns the majority of land surrounding the stadium, but the city owns the 1-acre area to the south as well as another 1 acre area to the north.
Hill said he has been in communication with the city and told the Board of Education that the city will allow the district to use the 1 acre area south of the stadium for parking free of charge. The schools would just be responsible for the cost of grass repair after the season is over.
Hill said some people had suggested paving the entire parking area south of the stadium, but added the expense would be great. The district received a cost estimate of $100,000 to pave a smaller lot east of the stadium off Grandview.
“The cost of paving that entire large area would be astronomical,” he said.
Board member Amanda Gordon said the agreement with the city was a start but added that she would like to look at additional options as well such as some of the wooded areas around the stadium.
“I think this has made us look extremely silly, especially to our out of town guests,” she said. “I apologize to the football team, the band and the cheerleaders who work so hard. It’s also not fair to our coach who had to deal with a lot of questions about parking.”
Hill agreed that the district could look into other options as well.
For the last couple of home games, parking on the south side of Art Wright Stadium was closed due to recent rain and soggy grass conditions. The north parking lot was open for those who required handicap parking, but other spectators were asked to park at Wadsworth High School. The district ran shuttle buses to and from the stadium.
Superintendent Andrew Hill said the shuttling with buses helped, but there was a decrease in revenue at the gates during the last few games and the crowds were much smaller than usual. While he believes weather conditions could have been a factor, he added that he believes at least a portion of the decrease was due to the parking situation.
For the last few years, the district has been shuttling the football team, band members and cheerleaders to the stadium which costs the district roughly $1,000 per game. Shuttling spectators from the high school doubles that cost per game.
The school district owns the majority of land surrounding the stadium, but the city owns the 1-acre area to the south as well as another 1 acre area to the north.
Hill said he has been in communication with the city and told the Board of Education that the city will allow the district to use the 1 acre area south of the stadium for parking free of charge. The schools would just be responsible for the cost of grass repair after the season is over.
Hill said some people had suggested paving the entire parking area south of the stadium, but added the expense would be great. The district received a cost estimate of $100,000 to pave a smaller lot east of the stadium off Grandview.
“The cost of paving that entire large area would be astronomical,” he said.
Board member Amanda Gordon said the agreement with the city was a start but added that she would like to look at additional options as well such as some of the wooded areas around the stadium.
“I think this has made us look extremely silly, especially to our out of town guests,” she said. “I apologize to the football team, the band and the cheerleaders who work so hard. It’s also not fair to our coach who had to deal with a lot of questions about parking.”
Hill agreed that the district could look into other options as well.
