Two East Aurora School District 131 schools will use the city of Aurora’s portable soccer field this spring and next fall, following the recent approval of the rental deal by the East Aurora school board.
Use of the soccer field is a new partnership for the district, according to an attachment to the board’s April 7 meeting agenda. It’s funded by the city, meaning there will be no additional costs to the district.
The proposed dates to house the portable soccer field are from May 16 to June 2 at Rollins Elementary, and from Sept. 1 to Sept. 15 at Dieterich Elementary. It is intended for both recreational and organized use, according to the district’s attachment to the meeting agenda outlining the proposal.
The deal was approved unanimously by the board at the April 7 meeting.
The partnership between the city and the school district was first discussed at the Aurora City Council in September, according to past reporting. It was set to be the first time the soccer field, purchased around two years ago by the city, would leave city property.
Before that, the city had rented a portable soccer field and put it up in local parks, but the success and popularity of the initiative ultimately prompted the city to buy one of its own using a grant it received from the state.
The city offered a lease agreement for the soccer field it owns to both East Aurora District 131 and West Aurora School District 129, but only East Aurora took the city up on its offer, according to past reporting.
Depending on how the deal goes, the city may make similar agreements with other area school districts that serve students from Aurora – Indian Prairie, Oswego, Batavia and Kaneland – and the Fox Valley Park District.
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
