EVANS CITY — The Seneca Valley School District recently decided to convert one of two fields at Evans City Elementary School from a baseball field into a football field, but that decision isn't sitting well with some borough residents.

Athletic director Heather Lewis said Friday that the field had previously been used jointly as a baseball and football field.

However, according to Lewis, it was unsafe for children to play football on a surface that also included dirt and bumps from baseball being played there. That's why the decision was made to sod the infield of the baseball diamond and to convert the field to a football-only playing surface.

“I approach my job making sure that all of our facilities are safe and appropriate for our teams,” Lewis said. “We need the safest environment possible for our student athletes.”

There still is another field, less than 100 yards away from the football field, that will be used strictly for baseball.

But that fact isn't enough to calm the concerns of some Evans City residents, some of whom passed out a flyer during trick or treat Thursday night urging residents to attend the school board meeting Monday night.

The flyer erroneously stated that both of the “baseball fields at Evans City Elementary were hydroseeded and are current in stage 1 of being eliminated.”

Some residents said that they're upset over the lack of communication between the district and the public, and they were surprised the issue never came up at a school board meeting.

However, Lewis said that the school district isn't paying for the project, and that the decision to seed the field was made by herself and the district facilities and grounds manager.

Since the district isn't spending any money, the decision didn't have to go through the school board.

Mike Del Duca, president of the Seneca Valley Junior Football Association, said Friday that his organization is paying for all of the work on the field.

He wouldn't say what it will cost, adding only that it is “significant.”

“Baseball is kind of in decline in Evans City, and they recently joined up with Harmony and Zelienople organizations,” he said, adding that there are plenty of fields in the area for baseball teams.

“It's not like we're trying to push anyone out of anything,” he added. “There's still another baseball field over there that's usable.”

George Knochel, a board member of the Evans City Athletic Association, said Friday that he's displeased with the project and said he still thinks Del Duca acted without school permission.

“He did not get permission,” Knochel insisted. “He's friends with (Lewis). Now she's sweeping it under the carpet to make it look like he had permission.”

In addition, Knochel said the issue goes deeper than athletic fields. He said the seeded field is roped off and not usable for all students in the school, students who used to play kickball or other games there during recess.

“Now they're prohibiting everyone from going outside to use these fields,” he said. “It's not just people who play baseball. It's everyone who uses that field can't use it now.”

District officials contradicted the notion that any wrongdoing happened with the project.

“The district is in the midst of reviewing this,” said Linda Andreassi, district spokesman. “It's inaccurate to say that Ms. Lewis or anyone else in the district is sweeping this under the rug.”

In addition, Andreassi countered Knochel's assertion that the roped-off ballfield will limit students during recess.

Quite the opposite, she said, because students were unable to use the field after any kind of rain since the infield dirt would turn to mud. That problem will be solved after the field is converted into a grass-only surface, she said.