Why wasn’t this included when the school was built?

Simply put, the original budget included grass fields with limited space for fall sports. They were seeded in 2020, but did not grow and fill in the way the School District had anticipated. The School District is maintaining the current fields, and while they’re spending as much time and money as possible, some believe the grass is not practice-quality.

Meanwhile, Gallatin High has enormous school pride and champion-level teams. Supporting our young athletes with practice fields next to Gallatin High would be an enormous game changer for the school. Our football and soccer teams deserve dedicated practice fields, all while supporting other programs like the marching band and PE classes. Along with this, having two lighted turf fields in Bozeman will be beneficial for community members all year long. Tournaments and recreational sports can rent the fields on weekends and evenings when not in use by Gallatin High.

Why synthetic turf rather than grass?

Theoretically teams could practice on grass, however, artificial turf requires less square footage of field space. To use grass fields in Montana, teams have to rotate use times and stay off grass when it’s wet, which causes disruption to team sports. Additionally, the GHS campus does not have the room to rotate grass fields to keep them in good enough condition throughout the year. Turf fields will be easier to maintain in the long run while also allowing uninterrupted practice time.

After discussions with the School District and the maintenance team, it’s been determined that grass is too hard to maintain with current labor resources. The Bozeman High fields are maintained by an overly dedicated staff member who meticulously rotates field use to avoid excessive damage to the grass. There is neither the available grass area nor dedicated staff member at GHS. Studies show injuries on turf are equal to or less than those on grass fields. Turf can be used year-round with little maintenance, by multiple sports users, and has a longer lifespan.

Where do the teams practice now, and what’s the cost?

The teams practice now at stop-gap locations. This project provides a sustainable alternative.

The soccer teams practice at the Bozeman Sports Park and pay public rental fees of $10,000 for boys and $10,000 for girls each year. (Van Winkle Stadium isn’t properly sized for soccer.) While the proximity of the Bozeman Sports Park is convenient, the price of the fields is the program’s largest expense and requires dedicated fundraising year after year.

The football teams practice at Van Winkle, which is free. They also practice one day a week at MSU while the Hawks practice at Van Winkle, which costs around $3,000 per season. The issue for the football program is proximity more than cost. There are around 100 student-athletes on the JV and Varsity teams, and they’re all driving across town after school during a busy traffic window. Coaches haul the gear and equipment across town to the two different fields, which is cumbersome and inconvenient. 

Why are the fields on City property? Why do we have to pay for the field if the City is going to get the rental income?

Building the fields on City property is a collaborative effort to provide access to turf fields for the entire community, not just Gallatin High students. The GHS campus doesn’t have adequate space for two turf fields without eliminating current grass areas dedicated to other activities and future parking. In addition, the partnership with the City shifts the onus of construction management and ongoing maintenance to the City from the school district. Under the proposed agreement, the City of Bozeman will maintain the artificial turf practice fields as part of the Memorandum of Understanding. Replacement of the turf every 8-10 years will be split between the School District (and Booster Club) and the City.

Who will get to use the new fields?

This is one of the best benefits of the collaboration between the City and the School District. Under the proposed agreement, the fields will be reserved for GHS sports during after-school hours during fall sports seasons. The fields will be available to rent for the public from the City of Bozeman on weekends when the fields are not reserved by GHS sports. This means soccer, lacrosse, football, rugby, and any other sports can use the fields for tournaments or practice. As our community grows, access to sports fields will always be an imperative need.

Will there be goalposts, seating, scoreboards, etc. on the new fields?

Later tiers in the fundraising plan will address non-essential items. For now, the focus is on providing lights and practice space as soon as possible.

Why isn’t this covered by the bond/taxes? What was the bond, and what did it promise? Are the fields part of the infrastructure promised?

In 2017, Bozeman High School District voters approved a $125 million bond to construct what is now Gallatin High School, renovate Bozeman High School, and reconstruct Van Winkle Stadium at its now-present location. Prior to introducing that bond, the District convened multiple consensus groups to determine what would need to be included in each of these facilities. Athletic programs and boosters were a key part of those groups and conversations.

The committees eventually agreed on a 'One Bozeman' concept that involved sharing competition facilities between the two schools.  Practices were intended to be held on each school's grass practice fields, or at the shared Van Winkle complex. That concept became the final design for the taxpayer-financed facility plans.  All facilities that were planned and promised to the taxpayers as a part of the 2017 bond issue were completed on time and on budget.

However, expectations continue to evolve.  While Van Winkle Stadium is a District facility shared equally by BHS and GHS, transportation and accessibility are clear barriers for GHS programs. There are also perception issues related to having the facility on the BHS campus. For those reasons, District leadership is currently working with the City of Bozeman to make improvements to the Sports Park that will provide additional parking and more convenient turf field access for GHS.

Will the coaches have input about the size and shape of the fields?

Both fields will be adequately sized for soccer and football. The project will have a public review period, and Gallatin High coaches are encouraged to review the plans carefully and comment on any issues they see. The School District and City intend to work with coaches, however, they are not bound to listen to any individual opinion.