SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — The Slippery Rock School Board on Monday pledged a financial commitment to renovating its football stadium by seeking a $200,000 grant from the NFL Foundation.

Board Vice President Greg Angerett said that to apply for the grant the board has to vote to commit to the project. He said there would be another vote to actually approve the project.

Stephen Parks and Associates of Hollidaysburg designed the project, which would include improved lighting, improved home bleachers, expanded visitors bleachers, a turf field and a track. The total cost is expected to be $2.5 million.

Board member Mark Taylor said fixing the bleachers and the lighting are essential because they are getting to the point where they cannot pass inspection, and the district can get an $80,000 grant to do the bleachers and lights.

But the district can get a $200,000 grant to do everything. Taylor said the district can only get one of the grants. The board chose to seek the larger grant.

The anticipated cost to get new bleachers and lights is $1.2 million. The estimated cost for a new track and field is $1.3 million.

Grant applications are due Feb. 14, and the district should find out in May or June if it gets it. If the district does not get the grant, Angerett said, that is a “whole other boat.”

Board member Michael Scheer wondered where the rest of the money would come from.

Business manager Paul Cessar said that money could come from the district’s general fund and capital reserves.

Angerett said the district’s athletic committee is committed to fundraising for the project.

The stadium, built in the mid-1960s, has poor lighting that was installed in the 1980s, has problems with flooding and water pooling on the field and in the track area and has bleachers with little handicap accessibility.

Superintendent Kathy Nogay said other districts that get artificial turf fields find that they are used by many people and require little maintenance, making them valuable assets.

Angerett said, if the district gets the grant in May, the project would be done in August. If the project goes long and goes into the first week of football season, he said the game could be played away or at Slippery Rock University.