The Mid-Prairie School District has eagerly awaited the opening of the new multipurpose indoor athletic facility, and it’s finally ready to open its doors. The school is hosting an open house Friday, September 9th to unveil the facility to the public and offer tours. Ryan Schlabaugh, a member of the indoor facility committee, says they are putting finishing touches on the building, and he assures people it will be fully operational at the event.

Schlabaugh feels the all-inclusive nature of the facility will benefit the school greatly. It will be used for marching band practice and physical education classes, in addition to many sports applications. There are several surfaces for teams to utilize depending on their need, as well as sport-specific pieces of equipment, like batting cages and portable mounds for baseball. Schlabaugh anticipates its proximity to the high school will present even more opportunities for use during the school day. Construction began in the fall of 2015. The facility cost nearly $550,000, a large portion of which came from a $200,000 grant from the Washington County Riverboat Foundation. The open house begins at 4:30 p.m., and will run until kickoff of the varsity football game.