2012 senior class photos
2012 West Carrollton graduation
Home of the Week
Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2005 > October > 19 > Entry
The people’s stadium
At last night’s Dayton school board meeting, there were a few concerns about the board’s plan to run Welcome Stadium in partnership with the University of Dayton and the port authority.
People were uneasy because of the unique history of the stadium. It was largely paid for by individual contriubtions and fund-raising — more than $400,000, which was really big money back in 1949. My editor last night, Fraizer Smith, asked an interesting question. How many stadiums anywhere in the U.S. were funded in this way, with individual contributions rather than tax money or private financing?
Welcome Stadium is pretty unique. And the school board says their plan will protect the community’s investment going forward. Those who spoke last night want assurances that the stadium will always remain a school district asset.
Here’s a little bit that was cut from my story, in which school board president Gail Littlejohn explains the board’s rationale:
School board president Gail Littlejohn emphasized that the deal lasts for 10 years and the the district will remain the sole owner of the stadium and parking lot that surrounds it.
“The only way to reform Dayton Public Schools is to stay focused on education,” she said. “A lot of other things are required to run the stadium and we are not as good at it as we ought to be. It’s been run at a loss that means we take money out of the classroom to support it. We can’t continue to do that.”
Littlejohn said she hoped the renovations and new partners would help the district add value to the stadium.
“What were looking for from UD is expertise,” she said. “That’s what we don’t have. they can train us to manage that stadium more effectively.”
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Dayton Public Schools, Sports and Athletics
Comments
By Karen
October 20, 2005 3:46 PM | Link to this
The separation of Church and State has to do with the State not mandating religion or intervening in religious practice. It does not mean that churches and government oragnizations can never collaborate towards the common good. If UD backed out of every project in which it is collaborating with city and county governments or with local school systems, Dayton would be in a sorry state. (sorrier state?) Now if you consider football to be a religion, maybe you’re right.By Robert V. Brown
October 20, 2005 2:24 PM | Link to this
Back in 1949 and many years after that the School Board was able to do a very good job of keeping the stadium going after myself and many other students and parents and local donations made a stadium possible. I wonder why over the past 46 years why a fully paid for and funded stadium now becries that they need an outsider who has no direct interest in the property or improving it other than a selfish one. I think the School board could look to a severe criticizing of themselves and of other delinquent previous boards as being why the (?) disrepair has been allowed to go on. Has anyone thought of asking todays youth and parents and interested donors for renewed donationstin to repair and upgrade the stadium. If it was good enough back then, it is surely worth doing again and KEEP THE STADIUM to 100% DAYTON PUBLIC SCHOOL USE. If UD wants to rent out the use of the stadium (when no Scholl Needs are scheduled so be it) Keep this very special stadium in a prime location the way it always has been. Part of the PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM NOT part of a Private Church School!!! Again Local donations is a wiser and better choice.By randy phipps
October 19, 2005 10:52 PM | Link to this
what about the seperation of church and state?By NYFLYER
October 19, 2005 8:42 AM | Link to this
UD would be better at running Welcome Stadium. They have a professional management group that runs UD Arena next door. It makes sense for a university to run a stadium, not a city school district.