Dieruff High School staff and students celebrated Thursday as the Allentown School Board approved up to $18 million in upgrades for the school’s now-closed practice field.
The renovated practice field will host a track and a fieldhouse with bathrooms and a weight room. Planned bleachers will likely be portable due to space constraints.
District officials estimated that the 21-month project timeline would mean athletes could start using the new facility in spring 2028.
The project is budgeted at $15 million to $18 million, with the upper price allowing for a turf field while the lower price would accommodate a grass field.
Another yet-to-be-determined factor is whether or not the site can fit a full-size track. Current plans feature a synthetic track that is short of standard competition length.
“Our goal is to have engineers look at the space and see what’s viable,” Dieruff Principal Geoffrey Schmidt said.
Since the school’s practice field at 820 E. Tilghman St. was deemed unsafe in 2021, Dieruff athletes have had to travel to local parks, borrow space at J. Birney Crum Stadium or hold practice in Dieruff’s hallways and cafeteria.
Multiple Dieruff student-athletes spoke at Thursday’s board meeting, emphasizing what the new practice facility would mean for the school’s teams.
“Currently our conditions are rocky and lumpy,” said Sreyonn Meanh, a sophomore soccer player.
The soccer team is among those practicing at Andre Reed Park, and Meanh said field conditions there can be unsafe.
Junior football player Marcus Soto also spoke about safety concerns. His team currently practices at district space on Third Street, and he said athletes have to wait for buses to arrive when storms necessitate a return to Dieruff.
Soto also highlighted the impact that transportation has on students who are tackling a heavy academic load. As an AP student, he estimated he loses 80 hours each season to transportation time.
“Shorter practice times will allow athletes to get home earlier and manage other responsibilities more effectively,” Soto said.
Freshman Levon Clemmons said having a track within warmup jogging distance of the school will mean athletes can add 30 to 60 minutes of practice time to each session. Currently the track and field team travels to J. Birney Crum Stadium for practice and competition.
Clemmons said the new, closer practice track will “significantly increase our competitiveness and overall success.”
Fellow track athlete and freshman Camila Franco said the issue is one of fairness.
“It’s hard to feel like you’re on equal footing when everyone around you has something so basic, so essential right outside their door,” Franco said.
Sophomore football standout Bruce Billger said upgraded facilities will strengthen Dieruff student-athletes’ sense of pride and self-esteem, “which is something every quarterback knows is an important part of any team’s success.”
