Submitted by Dr. Ashley Pauley, Superintendent
The Milan C-2 School District has purchased 30.741 acres south of town by the Sullivan County EXPO. With the acres purchased and the dirt work completed by the seller, not the school district, the goal of Milan C-2 Schools is to build one full-size softball and one full-size baseball field with one ADA parking lot. The complex will also include one large concession stand and bathrooms to service both fields.
The school district will be applying for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Grant through the Department of Natural Resources in October. The LWCF Grant, if received, would be a 50/50 matching grant up to $500,000. The school will find out after the first of the year if we will receive the full grant amount, a partial grant amount, or not at all. The school is also eligible to apply for and receive the LWCF Grant more than once. This is the same grant the Princeton School District used to help facilitate the addition of their new ball fields. The land purchased will not be touched during this time while grant eligibility is determined.
While the school has been fortunate for the partnership with the MRA and American Legion Post #228 for the use of the Legion fields, there is a need for additional fields in our community. For the 2023 MRA Summer Baseball/Softball season we had record numbers of children signing up to play. For those that participated, the need for additional fields for games and practices was evident. Milan C-2 activities will take priority at the new complex, but these fields would also be available for use by MRA and the community as a whole. Again, the hope for the two ball fields is to bring additional fields and practice space to the Milan community. This complex will give all children in our community more opportunities for practice and game time.
