David McAndrew and his one-year old daughter Molly got quite a surprise earlier this month when they headed to Chief Kanim Middle School to play catch… a brand new field greeted them when they arrived.
Wondering how that happened? Simple. An idea. Negotiations. Collaboration. And about $2 million dollars.
Snoqualmie Valley School Board Member Dan Popp called it an example of an excellent partnership – one that even impressed the Washington State Soccer Association.
Over the summer the Snoqualmie Valley School District and Snoqualmie Valley Youth Soccer Association pooled their money to upgrade the worn. almost unusable field at Chief Kanim Middle School to a new, synthetic turf, multi-use field – field space needed by both parties.
For the soccer association, their need was more lighted practice space, especially during the winter months. Only Mount Si High School and Cedarcrest High School previously offered lighted fields the association could rent locally during the ‘short on daylight’ winter months.
For Mount Si High School, the need is future field space for a growing student population, while also balancing the wear and tear at Mount Si High School Stadium, which serves as a highly used rental field for community sports organizations.
The idea of the partnership surfaced about two years ago and became more of reality when the 2015 SVSD School passed. Each party contributed about $1 million to make the project happen. District funding was a combination of capital bond funds and impact fees. For the soccer association, it had been saving funds for a central field for about 20 years.
The partnership user agreement allows the soccer association priority use of the field, which is lined for soccer, football and lacrosse, after district needs are met. The field now offers the soccer association, which stretches from Duvall to North Bend, a central, lighted field location in the Snoqualmie Valley.
It seems Molly McAndrew enjoyed the new field.
