District inks two more sponsorship deals

The Grafton School District recently accepted two sponsorship agreements totaling $265,000 that will help pay for a nearly $5 million athletic complex project.

The Grafton School Board on Monday unanimously accepted a $200,000 donation from the Grafton Gridiron Club, which will have its logo placed on the high school football field scoreboard. The board also approved a $65,000 donation from Port Washington State Bank. Supt. Jeff Nelson said both donations will be paid over the next three years.  

The money will go to the district’s Enhancing Our Future campaign that was initiated in 2018 to provide funds to improve the athletic facilities at Grafton High School that were not included in the district’s $3.98 million referendum project that began in 2018.

“For many years we have partnered with Port Washington State Bank and they have worked with us with a lot of our banking needs, and we are pleased they are supporting this project,” Nelson said.

Some of the money from the Grafton Gridiron Club will support the Grafton Gladiators youth football program, he added.

Last month, 1964 graduate Ted Kellner and his wife Mary pledged to match $750,000 in funds raised for the work.

“We are grateful to have the Kellners partner with us by providing this matching donation to enhance our athletic facilities,” Nelson said. “It provides an incentive for other businesses to partner with us and double each dollar raised for the multi-million-dollar project.”

The total cost of the five-phase project is $4.968 million. The district has committed $1.75 million and is seeking corporate and private donations to enhance player and spectator safety, increase programming opportunities and improve overall site functionality and aesthetics.

The initial phase of the project began in 2018 and is expected to be completed in 2021 with upgrades to the soccer, varsity softball and varsity and junior varsity baseball fields. The cost of the first phase is $1.2 million.

The second phase, which is projected to cost $672,000, calls for perimeter fencing around the complex along with a new entry and ticket booths and an extended plaza. Bids for the work will be sought this month and the work is expected to be finished by fall 2022.

Phase three, which is expected to cost $1.98 million, will add synthetic turf to the football field, an eight-lane track and additional field facilities. Officials said that project is to be completed by fall 2022.

The cost of phase four is about $360,000. It will include new restrooms, a concession stand and a storage building at the soccer field.

The final phase will cost $768,000, which will include a new scoreboard, sound system and stadium lighting.