Bond approval would upgrade Bronco Stadium, Tiger Field, Swim Center

By David Stone

The Belton Journal

Belton ISD voters will cast their votes on Nov. 4 in a $161.8 million bond referendum that includes four propositions.

The bulk of the referendum is a $92.9 million Proposition A that includes campus security and school improvements, and another $62 million would be used to update or build athletic facilities such Bronco Stadium, the Swim Center, Tiger Field and other facilities across the district. Also, a $6 million proposition would update technology for students and staff at all BISD schools.

Perhaps the biggest athletic facility project included in the bond referendum is transitioning Lake Belton High School’s football stadium from a practice field to a varsity-level arena.

“Bronco Field was built as a subvarsity football, varsity track and varsity soccer facility,” Belton ISD Athletic Director Sam Skidmore said this week. “It was built with the intent of expanding it in the future.”

The “future” may be this year if the bond is ap- proved. Currently Lake Belton home football games are played at Tiger Field.

“Bronco Stadium would seat about 5,300,” Skidmore said. “(If the bond passes) we will expand the home bleachers, add restrooms and add concessions to the home side.”

A new press box would be added to the home stands and a video board would be constructed. Visi- tor-side stands would be expanded, and locker rooms would be improved.

“We would also expand the parking lot for the stadium and for Lake Belton High baseball and tennis fa- cilities,” said Dr. Mike Morgan, Belton ISD’s deputy superintendent.

According to Skidmore, the playing field will be left alone.

“We put down a good turf just a few years ago — it’s still in good shape,” he said.

Another big project in the bond referendum is the expansion of the Roy & Jean Potts Swim Center, which serves the needs of all 20 Belton ISD schools. The center also is home to the Belton ISD Swim Club and community activities such as open swimming and water aerobics, Skidmore said.

“Right now, the Swim Center consists of an eight- lane 25-yard competition pool, a three-lane therapy pool, on-site shower and locker room facilities that services more than 400 students and members of the community,” Skidmore said. According to Morgan and Skidmore, the Swim Center needs to expand to meet the district’s needs.

“We are limited in how many students can use the facility,” Morgan said.

“We are limited to 25 elementary students and 14 middle school students, plus 160 swim club members and 30 to 50 community mem- bers. We are limited to about 77 students at a time right now.”

Those numbers would likely change if the bond is approved.

“We would triple our lane space, and we could offer the community more swimming lessons, open swim and water aerobics,” Skidmore said. “Right now, we can only offer swim lessons during the summer.”

If the bond passes, new locker rooms for athletes would be added.

Big changes also are in store for Tiger Field if voters give the bond a thumbs-up. Currently, the stadium serves both Belton High and Lake Belton foot- ball teams.

“There would be many improvements made to the stadium,” Skidmore said. “We would improve lighting, the turf and the video board.”

According to Morgan, the home-side grandstands would be configured to allow the home band to sit on the home side. Also, new concessions and restrooms would be added, and the visitors locker room would be improved.

Tiger Field hosts varsity and subvarsity football games, track and field competitions, middle school football games, and a Powder Puff football league. Summer football workouts, 7-on-7 football games and Special Olympics games also are held at Tiger Field.

 “Right now, the stadium seats 8,500 people, but that would go down just a bit,” Morgan said. “The home-side stands will be reconfigured. Right now, there’s a walkway that passes in front of the ADA seats. We want to move the ADA seats to the front of the walkway. To make this ADA improvement, we will have to eliminate a few seats.”

Smaller athletic improvements would include building a weight room at Belton Middle School. “Right now, student athletes at Belton Middle School have to travel to Belton High to lift weights,” Moore said.

The bond would allow Belton ISD to turf Belton High baseball and softball fields, and add LED light- ing to the softball complex.

Morgan said advisors have estimated a quartercent increase in property taxes.

“If all four propositions are approved in November, Belton ISD taxpayers will see an approximate $5.22 annual increase in property taxes for the average home valued at $348,832 after the application of the homestead exemption,” he continued. “There will be no increase for homeowners 65 years of age and older.”