School board authorizes use of SAVE funds for infrastructure improvements

Tom Hollander walked with some difficulty when approaching the podium to tell Newton school board members this past week how important it is for the district to have accessible bleachers at H.A. Lynn Stadium, which would allow people with mobility issues to more easily reach their seats and spectate the game.

As the person who prompted school board members to address this issue back in September 2024, Hollander wanted to personally thank the school board on Jan. 13 for taking his concerns seriously and considering possible solutions. The board ultimately decided to use Secure an Advanced Vision for Education funds.

“I came to the school board meeting to talk about this because I thought it was a significant deficiency in our athletic complex for football, soccer, track and whatever else the facility is used for,” Hollander said at a public hearing for the bleachers. “I also feel this improvement is long overdue.”

H.A. Lynn Stadium has been outfitted with a new track, new turf, new lights and new scoreboard over the past few years. Hollander said the improvements to the visitors side bleachers is vital and will be a needed improvement for supporters of Newton High School athletics and even the spectators for the visiting teams.

Andy Swedenhjelm, head football coach for Newton High School, also spoke at the public hearing. He stressed he was not opposed to new bleachers, saying up until this past season his 92-year-old grandfather would come to every home game. He knows first hand some of the issues his grandfather encountered.

Infrastructure upgrades are needed, he added, particularly at the 83-year-old stadium. However, Swedenhjelm wants to see projects like these fitted into an overall improvements plan. As someone who has been in the district for about 12 years, Swedenhjelm loves seeing the school advance and grow.

“It kind of seems like at times not all stakeholders are involved in the process,” he said. “I know for myself the only knowledge I’ve had in any of these projects here is searching through the school board meeting notes. As someone who is a primary stakeholder … I struggle with making huge financial commitments.”

Especially without understanding what the background plan is. Swedenhjelm said he has no idea where the district is at as far as designs go. While addressing the accessibility of the stadium is a valid issue, he worried about the pace of the project and whether stakeholders have been faithfully vetted for input.

Swedenhjelm recalled when the school district upgraded the press box at the stadium a few years ago. Football coaches were not consulted for that project. He also worried about the project affecting home game schedules. Again, he stressed he is a huge believer in making improvements to the stadium.

“I just want to make sure this is part of an overall plan and not just a bandaid slapped onto something,” Swedenhjelm said.

According to school district documents, approximately $800,000 in SAVE dollars will be set aside for the H.A. Lynn Stadium bleachers. The same amount was set aside for the baseball concessions and bathrooms project, and it was also approved by the school board in the same night.

Tim Bloom, director of business services for the Newton Community School District, addressed many of the concerns Swedenhjelm brought up. The timeline to construct the bleachers, for instance, is to have them finished before football season starts. Future action will determine the design and award a contract.

Until then there will be time seek input from stakeholders for both projects.

“Ideally, we would come back in February and be able to have the design and have this information,” Bloom said. “…So there’s a whole process to this but right now this is just assigning us the ability to use the SAVE funds for the first two action items, and then the following action items are to get professional services.”

These agreements were also approved by the school board to let the architects get the ball rolling. School board member Kristi Meyer asked Bloom if the district would be committed to completing these projects if approved by elected officials. Bloom said no and that the school will still have to solicit bids.

Discussions about the baseball concession stand garnered different concerns. School board member Ray Whipple said the price seems high for a concessions stand, and to him it feels like “more of a want than a need.” He has a problem spending $800,000 on this project when there are more critical issues to address.

“It just seems crazy to spend $800,000 for the bathrooms and concessions stand,” Whipple said. “…I know that it’s a big walk to get to the softball field, but there are other facilities that we go to that it’s a farther walk than that. Not that it doesn’t need to be done in the future, but I think we need our priorities in line.”

In the interim, the baseball field has utilized a concessions trailer and portable toilets. Robyn Friedman, chair of the Newton school board, said Whipple’s concerns were valid and that she shares the same concerns. She, again, noted that the board is not voting on whether to spend the money.

“We’re just authorizing that we could spend the money,” Friedman said.