Bartlett High School getting new scoreboard, field

Bartlett High School will be able to get a new stadium scoreboard thanks, in part, to a $25,000 donation from the Bartlett Rotary Club.

The money will go to the Bartlett High School Booster Club, which has been raising funds for five years to build an athletic activity complex at the 19-year-old school so its students would no longer have to share facilities with Streamwood High School.

Per an agreement with Elgin Area School District U-46, the club's name will be displayed on the stadium scoreboard once installed.

Bartlett High students compete at Millennium Field at Streamwood High. Students have been sharing an athletic complex since Bartlett High opened in 1997. The plans for the activity complex include a new field, a running track, home and visitors bleachers, a scoreboard, lighting and a concession stand.

The boosters' initial efforts to raise roughly $5 million for the complex project hit a few bumps. To date, $60,000 has been collected, including the Rotary Club donation.

Project chairman and club past president George Kantzavelos said the group has revised its fundraising goals and scaled back plans.

"Realistically, right now it's going to be about a $700,000 project," he said. "We have made it more affordable for us to go ahead and raise the money. We are trying to live within our means. We didn't want to purchase any equipment until we have the money raised for the equipment."

Club officials gave up on the idea of installing a synthetic turf field - estimated to cost $864,000 - and instead U-46 is resurfacing the existing field. Workers started tearing it up about two weeks ago, and on Tuesday community members will help district crews lay fresh sod.

"It has turned into a community effort," Kantzavelos said.

Field lighting won't be undertaken now, though it remains part of the plan, he added.

The boosters also purchased new collegiate-standard goalposts that have been installed by district workers.

With the Rotary Club donation, the scoreboard - estimated to cost $50,000 - will be purchased in the coming weeks.

"We raised the rest through little donations here and there," Kantzavelos said. "Once they get the scoreboard in place it will look even more like a stadium. Once we have our scoreboard up we are going to try to get a varsity football game by the upcoming season in October."

The boosters now are courting donors to fund the purchase of $200,000 bleachers.

Work on the entrance and concession area will be last.

"Our plan is to have everything completed for the 2017 season," said Kantzavelos, adding the school district and Bartlett community came together to make this project possible. "It's just a win-win for both sides."

While no fundraisers are planned, the boosters will sell 200 founders bricks at $250 each through bhsboosters.org.