On the Road: New athletic upgrades in Lockport schools

We're 'On the Road' and celebrating the first day of school for Lockport students!

In addition to having a new school year to be excited about, students across the Lockport school district will have new artificial turf football and baseball fields, tennis courts and renovated gyms to enjoy for practice and game nights. 

In addition to new athletic fields, many of the gyms have been renovated, as well as STEM classrooms. 

The fields all have built in drainage systems, maximizing the amount of time students can spend on the fields in Western New York's unpredictable weather. This allows rainwater to flow through and the fields to thaw more quickly during the spring, getting students out sooner.

The renovation project began during spring of 2018 and cost about $18 million. The plans were approved by voters in Lockport, something the district athletics director is grateful for. "The people are great, this community is fantastic. We have great parents, community members who approved this and I couldn't be happier," says Todd Sukdolak. He says these fields are two fold, a benefit for student athletes and all students in the district.

Neighbors will also be able to enjoy the new amenities. Anyone interested in using the fields can submit an application to the district for approval. A new walking track that's expected to be finished in spring will also be accessible to the community.

These new athletic fields will also create more opportunities for the district to expand their unified sports teams, pairing special needs students with general education students to compete on the same teams.

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