Geneva school board accepts donations toward new field

Geneva High School Principal Tom Rogers called Burgess Field “hallowed ground” on Wednesday night, but not because of its glorious athletic history.

“It’s because it needs to be preserved on a daily basis for the varsity sports in the fall and spring, so on a daily basis that property goes unused,” Rogers said. “To be blunt, it is wasted space.”

Rogers made his comments during a special school board meeting a day after it was revealed that the district had an anonymous donor come forward willing to donate between $450,000 and $500,000 for the installation of a synthetic surface at Burgess Field.

The board voted to accept the anonymous donation, as well as a $50,000 donation from the Friends of Burgess Field and the Geneva All-Sports Boosters, who have worked behind the leadership of booster vice president Tom Finnberg since last summer to raise half of the $1 million needed to convert Burgess to artificial turf.

The board also approved the start of the bidding process for the work.

Superintendent Kent Mutchler reminded board members that the project could not move forward until the board approves bids for the work at the April 25 meeting, but it was important to approve the start of the bidding process to keep the project on a timetable in which the new field could be in place for the fall football season. During his comments, Rogers told board members that students who participate in football, soccer, marching band and many other sports will benefit from having Burgess available.

The school board had agreed, when first approached about the idea last August, that it could match the fundraising effort by financing the other $500,000 from its reserve funds because it had to spend that amount anyway this year to refurbish the existing natural turf field. Mutchler reiterated the major donor’s wish to remain anonymous, and even Finnberg had no idea who came forward with such a large gift — but he was grateful.