The Allegheny Valley School District plans to stay the course and play its football games at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Springdale despite an issue with a leaning wall at the field.

At a meeting Tuesday, board members discussed the field, where part of a wall is leaning toward the stadium from the Lincoln Avenue side of the facility.

At the June 13 school board meeting, Superintendent Pat Graczyk shared a portion of Senate Engineering’s report about the visitors side of the stadium, where the ticket booth is located, that experienced additional movement throughout the past year. Some capstones became loose and one was falling off.

To be safe, Senate recommended the school district close the section of bleachers adjacent to the ticket booth, Graczyk said. Graczyk had recommended the school completely close the bleachers and have the football team play an away-only schedule this season.

“We had an informational meeting with Senate engineers and, verbally, their engineer had shared that he will amend the letter to address that we are able to use the home and center portion of those bleachers,” Graczyk said June 20.

He said engineers would work with school maintenance staff to determine where to tape off the bleachers. The ticket booth, and potentially the press box, also would not be used in the fall.

“What we are looking at then is, is our preference to use Veterans Stadium knowing that a section of the bleachers will be unavailable and the view will not be the greatest at the far side end zone?” Graczyk said. “If we don’t like that option, then the other option that was presented was, ‘Do we play an away schedule?’ And that’s really at the crux of where we’re at right now.”

Last season, 540 people came to every football game, except the Riverview High School game, which had 900 people, board President Larry Pollick said.

There are some other adjustments to be determined before fall — including where the visitor’s team band will be located, possible temporary bleachers and logistics of taping off the section of bleachers and the walkway around it.

“What I believe I’m hearing from the group, is that we’d like to stay at our home field, unless something way out of the ordinary happens,” Graczyk said.

He plans to give a public update on the topic during a meeting at 7 p.m. July 11.

“It’s helpful to have Senate’s report in writing so that anyone that might have concern, we can share their report and say, ‘We’ve had a professional examine this. This is safe.’ That backs us up, and, hopefully, it makes people feel comfortable about coming to the stadium,” Graczyk said.

Veterans Memorial Field was built in 1938. The Springdale Dynamo football team has played at the field since 1939, excluding a couple of years when the field underwent renovations.

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