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KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- It was standing-room only for several reasons at the Mar. 14 Kirksville School Board meeting. 

The state champion Kirksville Wrestling team was there to be recognized by the school board. The team members received a standing ovation for their recent accomplishments.

The Kirksville High School Science Olympiad team was also in attendance to show off the inventions they created and used in a recent district tournament. They will compete in the state competition in upcoming weeks.

Then, the money started rolling in. The Kirksville Booster Club presented the school board with a $50,000 check to be allocated towards the stadium improvement project.

"Our involvement in this project is a stadium improvement project. We were looking to support the project as a whole," said Greg Gordon, the President of the Kirksville Booster Club. Gordon said the club voted last night to donate $50,000 because he said that is what their budget allowed.

 During the meeting, Gordon also mentioned that the booster club has provided Kirksville High School students with $96,022.05 this school year alone in order to help students pay for extracurricular activities. For instance, the Booster Club gives state qualifying students -whether a wrestler or SkillsUSA team member - $25 per day to help them cover the cost of attending a state competition.

 The $50,000 donation sparked a discussion amongst board members about whether the board should further investigate purchasing turf to resurface the football field.

"There is support for it if the numbers back it up," said Matt Copeland, a member of the Kirksville School Board.  "We feel strongly that this is a good long term solution and providing with this $50,000 check from the Booster club, looking at and seeing other partnerships, we feel comfortable that when we get all of the information together and educate the community... that this could be a very good thing for everyone in Kirksville."

Copeland said the Board's Facilities Committee will meet soon to compare the cost of maintaining grass versus turf over the long haul,  along with other factors, in order to decide if it's worth investing in turf.

Copeland said the $50,000 booster club donation is a catalyst to the potential project. He believes the board will need at least $200,000 from community partners in order for the board to consider spending $600,000 to $700,000 on turf.

During the meeting, the board also approved spending $7,550 to pay for the school board election. That figure was submitted by Adair County Clerk Sandy Collop. Trumascape, LLC was given the bid to add trees to the Walking Trail Project.

April 11 is the next board meeting.