Johnston (Iowa) board approves plan to build $8.9 million stadium

The Johnston (Iowa) school board has approved plans to build a $8.9 million athletic complex near a new high school under construction.

The Des Moines Register reports that 5,300-seat stadium will help the district keep up with growing enrollment. Since the school system's existing stadium was upgrade in the 1990s, it has become outdated. Restrooms and concession facilities are inadequate, and the facility lacks appropriae locker room space for visiting teams.

The new, 369,000-square-foot high school is scheduled to open in 2017 and serve 10th- through 12th-grade students. The existing high school will then undergo a $4 million renovation so it can house the district's eighth- and ninth-graders.

Johnston Superintendent Corey Lunn says because the opening of the new high school is 13 months away and construction costs are increasing, now is the right time to build the stadium.

Money for the athletic complex will come from sales tax revenue and the district's physical plant and equipment levy, a local tax for infrastructure improvements.

Johnston will keep its existing stadium at the old high school site. It will accommodate middle school sports and be used for youth teams and community activities.