YORK, Pa. — On Tuesday, West York Area School District will hold a public meeting for comment about a new proposal to upgrade their athletic facilities.
This new renovation will cost around $20 million.
Lynn Kohler, school board president of WYASD, says its facilities are currently out of date.
"We had players coming back, watching games on the same field after 50 years," said Kohler.
He says the proposal will upgrade the high school track, concession stands restrooms and bleachers. It will also upgrade facilities to be handicap accessible.
The biggest change: playing fields would be replaced with artificial turf.
“Our experience should be better," said Kohler. "We’re not looking to be the best around, but we’re at least trying to keep up to date with what other schools are doing that are similar size to what we are.”
But Kohler says the upgrades would come with a tax increase. It would be the first tax increase for the district in six years.
Some residents claim they were promised an increase wouldn’t happen.
“The numbers keep changing, what is it?" said Randy Drais, a long-time resident of West Manchester Township. "You can't say you’re not going to vote for a tax increase and say [taxes] wont go up, but then they do go up. Which is it? We want some straight answers.”
Other critics of the proposal say they have safety and environmental concerns about artificial turf.
“Before we follow the pack, spend all this money, put all this stuff in, I think we need to slow down," said Jennifer Willis, resident of West Manchester Township. "Do all our research, take a look at all this and find out if it's really what’s best for our students for the community and for the future.”
Some residents say that athletic participation in the district has decreased and argued that new athletic facilities are unnecessary and a waste.
Kohler disagrees.
“If you look at today’s students, they wanna play on facilities that are up to date," he said. "They look at what other districts have as far as facilities, and we want more kids to be involved."
The public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 12 at the administration building on Loucks Road in West Manchester Township.