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Springboro school board gives OK to ‘Miracle Field’

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By Lawrence Budd, Staff Writer Updated 11:06 PM Tuesday, April 28, 2009

The YMCA of Greater Dayton will manage a rubberized baseball field for special needs players that will be located in front of Springboro High School and ready for use this fall.

On Tuesday, April 28, the Springboro Board of Education approved a 15-year lease with the county MRDD and 15-year management agreement with the Coffman Y, the Dayton Y’s facility in Springboro.

The board approval culminated more than two years of discussions and fundraising on the project.

Springboro Miracle Field will be built just off Ohio 741 with about $800,000 in donations and commitments raised from private contributors and local governments.

“I think this is a great thing,” resident Tiffany Carlisle said.

The board Tuesday also approved a $294,000 contract to build the field and accepted $510,000 in contributions raised by the Y.

Fundraising continues, district business manager George Long said.

The field was conceived more than two years ago by Brian Crotty, a major contributor who has a child with special needs.

“It’s a great thing. It’ll benefit a lot of kids and adults in the Greater Dayton area, not just Springboro,” Crotty said in May 2008.

Since then, county prosecutors signed off on the legality of MRDD’s plan to pay $300,00 for the facility’s rest rooms, concession stand and press box. MRDD clients will work at the field as well as play baseball there.

The design includes a special playground for which CVS Pharmacies is raising funds.

The rubberized field will be built according to the specifications of the Georgia-based Miracle League Association.

More than 200 Miracle Leagues have been established throughout the country. The closest such fields are in northern Kentucky and Columbus, but groups are working toward opening fields in Cincinnati’s Western Hills neighborhood and the city of Hamilton in Butler County.

The city of Middletown built a similar rubberized field for handicapped players about five years ago, for a fraction of the cost without the Georgia group’s guidance, city recreation Administrator Abby Ison said.

“Ours was the first one in Ohio,” Ison said Tuesday. “The closest one I could go visit was in Michigan.”

The Springboro board had delayed approval because of concerns over costs and liability to the district, which will oversee construction and cover utility bills.

The MRDD board and the Y will maintain the liability insurance.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2261 or lbudd@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Hard Facts: $ spent from of school budget for this facility = $00.00

Extra staff salray/wages incuurred by school for Miracle Field = $0.00

Amount of money GIVEN to Springboro Schools by private donors/others outside of school budget dollars = $800k

Gee, thats a good reason to vote down the levy.

Cant wait for all the old skin flints in Springboro to die off wich shoud be within a few years (sorry IGA). Then a levy may pass!

Time will change things.

nicknack
12:52 AM, 5/8/2009

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Yes, we have heard all before the "someone else is paying for all of this" argument - look at that awful Medical Building! There is insurance, upkeep, we donated the land, who is paying for all of this after the initial 15 years! I imagine not to see games being played 2x per week by the handicapped but using by Springboro athletes.

Ted
12:42 PM, 5/7/2009

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NO school or district money is being spent on Miracle Field. ALL money donated was from private funds and was donated for this purpose only!!!!!

A parent
6:25 PM, 4/30/2009

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what about busses?? 800,000 dollars should build a nice and safe walkway down 741. So the kids will be safe when they are all walking to school and back home. becouse they cant affourd buses ....what a waste!! vote no on school levy they waste so much money. vote yes for a walkway that kinda money tey could even put a awning or enclosed on the walkway becouse those kids will be walking to school in rain, sleet, and snow.

boro resident 2
1:46 PM, 4/30/2009

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This is ridiculous...they should take these donations and use them for a more productive cause...they have baseball field...actually i think they have 2?...im sorry but right now is not the time to get a "rubberized" baseball field...sad springboro...come on baker get a clue...

Lauren
1:03 PM, 4/29/2009

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