Football coach Jeff Fleener tosses a football to players during practice at the new $60 million football stadium at Allen High School Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Allen, Texas. Allen High School northeast of Dallas christens the stadium Friday night with a matchup against defending state champion Southlake Carroll. While other school districts are struggling to retain teachers and keep classroom sizes down, Allen voters approved a $119 million bond issue that pays for the stadium and other district facilities.ALLEN, Texas – Call it the palace of high school football: A gleaming $60 million facility with seats for 18,000 roaring fans, a 38-foot-wide high-definition video screen, corporate sponsors and a towering upper deck.
Welcome to the new home of Eagles Football.
As school districts across the country struggle to retain teachers, replace outdated textbooks and keep class sizes from ballooning, the wealthy, burgeoning Dallas suburb of Allen is preparing to christen its new stadium with a sold-out Friday night matchup against defending state champions Southlake Carroll.
It’s not the biggest high school stadium in football-mad Texas, but Eagle Stadium is the grandest, with a spacious weight room for the players and practice areas for Allen High School’s wrestling and golf teams. The school district decided to build it in a down economy, knowing full well it will never recoup the costs.
It’s a decision that local officials and team supporters defend, saying the stadium will serve as a community centerpiece and source of pride for years to come and will more than pay the costs of operating it.