11-26-19 fdl school board says no to committing taxpayer funds for artificial turf

The Fond du Lac School Board has said no to a new artificial turf football stadium at Fond du Lac High School.  At their meeting Monday evening the school board voted 4-3 against a proposal  to commit  $1.5 million from the school district fund balance if a certain amount could be raised in the private sector with board president Linda Uselmann and board members Nick Teifke and Mark Jurgella voting in favor of  spending  taxpayer  money on the new field.   An amendment offered by board member Mark Strand to commit $700,000 was rejected by the board and Strand ended up voting against the original motion.  School board vice president Susan Jones says  the district’s priorities should be academics.  “Our priority is learning, education of our students and we’re not where we should be,”  Jones told WFDL news.  The latest statewide school report card showed Fond du Lac High School dead last in the Fox Valley Association and the only high school in the Association that “Met Few Expectations.”    “We just had the referendum for $98 million and that was a no-frills referendum and I just think right now a turf or indoor arena would be consider an extra,”  Jones said.   Teifke was a vocal supporter of turf, often posting comments on a Facebook page that was started by supporters of the artificial turf field.  “It went the way it went and didn’t pass right now  and it’s unfortunate that we still have these issues that we have to deal with and we have to find a way to deal with them,”  Teifke told WFDL news.  “I’m looking forward to how the athletic director is planning to deal with them without a new stadium.”   School District athletic director  David  Michalkiewicz says he’s disappointed but is not giving up the fight.  “I feel we had a great opportunity to do a great thing for our kids, for our community,” Michalkiewicz said.  “From my end this issue is nowhere near dead and we’ll continue to  fight for what we believe is right for our kids and our community,”  Michalkiewicz told WFDL news.  “Disappointed today, we’re going to regroup meet again and figure out where we go from here.”   The decision comes just seven months after voters approved a nearly $100 million district-wide major building referendum and three years after taxpayers spent more than a half million dollars for a new entryway at Fruth Athletic Field.