A $42 million proposition to replace the 53-year-old Abe Martin Stadium with a new venue to host football, track meets, soccer, and marching band competitions will be voted on in the May 2 Lufkin ISD bond election.

One of the biggest questions about Proposition B, in which the school district would build a new football stadium, is whether the school can provide more details about the condition of the current stadium and why renovation was not a viable alternative.

According to an informational video sent out from Lufkin ISD, renovating Abe Martin would mean spending about 80% of the $42 million estimated cost of a new stadium.

“The district did a study on that, and the cost of renovating the existing structure would be right at about 80% of the cost of building a new one, and then you’re still stuck with a 53-year-old structure,” Lufkin athletic director and head football coach Carl Abseck said. “You’re going to lose seating, and it really doesn’t do much for the gradient of the bleachers. You can’t do anything to fix that.

“Renovating would not help fix the draining that comes off the bleachers onto the track surface because we can’t separate it. There’s no way to separate the existing bleachers from the track, so we can’t install different drainage there. It also doesn’t do anything with the substructure and some issues that are underneath the ground there.

“The renovation was looked at as an option because it is a little bit cheaper, but there are some significant issues that we can’t address with the existing structure even with 80% of the money that we would spend.”

Abseck talked about the issues with the track and how use of it is limited now.

“The biggest issue with the track right now is that it’s not in very good shape,” Abseck said. “It needs to be resurfaced, which is typical of tracks. They have a shelf life, and instead of sinking money into that, we were waiting to see what would happen with this bond. We patched some holes and re-striped it to get through the year because you couldn’t see the lines.

“There were about 40–45 little holes in the surface we filled to get us through. It was a cheap fix, and obviously we’re hoping to have a new one with the new stadium.”

Other areas of the stadium that have fallen into disrepair over the years are the locker rooms underneath the home and visitor stands.

“At the level we play, the size of the locker rooms doesn’t accommodate the teams that come in, nor does it accommodate us,” Abseck said. “When you’re a visitor and you go into that locker room, you’re kind of taken aback by how bad a shape it is. What you don’t know as a visitor is that the home side is exactly the same. You want to think they’ve got a much better area on their side, and that’s just the treatment the visitors get, but that’s not the case. They’re the exact same on both sides.”

Abseck listed a number of things the current locker rooms are missing, from a lack of air conditioning and heating to limited space, technology, and even places to plug in.

“We can’t set up to watch film at halftime because we don’t have the technology, and we can’t use the things UIL allows us to use in terms of technology,” Abseck said.

Adjacent to Abe Martin Stadium is the Panther Activity Center, which opened in the fall of 2021 and is one of the best facilities in the region for basketball and volleyball.

“The stadium is not what I expected when I was coming to Lufkin to play as a visitor because you’ve heard all about Lufkin football. The town is known for football, and you see the PAC at the end of the stadium,” Abseck said. “I understand it was a need, and they didn’t have an on-campus facility. It’s a beautiful facility, and it’s as good a basketball and volleyball facility as you’ll find anywhere. Then you look at the stadium, and it literally hasn’t been touched for 53 years.”

Another big concern for years has been compliance with ADA requirements and what would need to be done if the stadium was renovated.

“You have a ramp there now that doesn’t get anybody too far from the track, and then the ADA for the press box as well. Anyone with any kind of handicap who has to go up to the press box, it’s basically a no-go,” Abseck said. “There’s no way to get to the press box without going up those 80-plus steps, and then you finish with a three-step ladder vertically while pushing the door open. There’s no compliance in that whatsoever.

“But the compliance piece is part of the reason why there hasn’t been anything done, because there are laws that if you do a certain percentage of remodel, then you have to bring everything up to code compliance, and that would cost millions and millions.”

Another area that would benefit from a new stadium would be the middle school, which would get a six-lane track where they don’t currently have one. The existing turf at Abe Martin would be moved there, giving them an all-purpose turf field.

Abseck, who stressed building an athletic program from the middle school and lower grade levels all the way up when he was hired in January 2025, said the bond helps grow the entire program.

“Our middle school is our foundation of what we’re going to be working with four years at the high school, so the better we can get them prepared, the more it benefits the program,” Abseck said. “Facilities are part of that preparation, and the better we can get them prepared, the better we’re going to be in the long run. Right now, they’re spending 20 minutes of transit time moving from the middle school to the high school to practice. It’s not very efficient.”

Abseck talked about the timeline of the building project and said work on a new stadium would start at the end of the 2026 season. The team would be out of the stadium for the 2027 season and plans to open the new stadium in August 2028.

“We’ve been in discussions with SFA for that year that we would be out of the stadium, and I tried to structure the schedule this year with six home games, which would mean only four next year,” Abseck said. “Meaning we would have four trips to SFA or whatever we end up doing. I structured it so that it would be the least difficult, because even if you’re the home team and you host on the road, it’s not easy. I’ve tried to minimize how many times we would have to do that.”

Abe Martin has a capacity of around 10,500, and Abseck said the preliminary drawings are for 8,500, with 5,500 on the home side and 3,000 on the visitor side.

“It’s big enough in size that you can attract people who want to play there because there will be enough seating for their fans. There are a lot of standing-room areas as well,” Abseck said. “I think the excitement and news of a new facility would perk up attendance.”

Safety and compliance improvements would also make a difference.

“Even in the year I’ve been here, I can’t tell you how many people have told me that they never used to miss the Panthers’ games but haven’t gone recently because they can’t get around very well,” Abseck said. “It’s not user-friendly for people with disabilities or those who have a hard time getting around. There are no handrails, so people are scared to go up the bleachers. They’ve got nothing to hold onto.”

Abseck talked about how, even though there are two propositions to vote on in May, both provide opportunities for students.

Proposition A, which includes $98.25 million in improvements to the district, covers Lufkin High School’s main building renovation, agricultural science barn construction, career and technical education building additions, school bus purchases, districtwide elementary campus safety upgrades, and the removal of portable buildings.

“Proposition A is huge because it’s all about creating more opportunities for our kids, and a big piece is the CTE and Ag addition, which are two very vital programs in a school setting,” Abseck said. “That gives career paths for kids to train in and learn something they can do down the road.

“The purpose in education is to provide a foundation for kids for the future. Some kids don’t necessarily want or need to go to college to do what they want, and CTE programs are a big part of that. We’re going to be able to provide more opportunities to learn those skills and trades because our current facilities don’t have the technology or the space. It also provides more room in our choir and band areas, and fine arts will be greatly improved as well.”

Abseck said the investment is worth it for the future of the kids and the community.

“It’s a positive sign for people who are looking to relocate and decide where they want their kids to go to school,” Abseck said. “I think the investment in that process is important. It shows a positive mindset and pride in your community.”

Abseck also addressed the impact on property taxes, noting an average increase of about $8 per month per $190,000 valuation.

“Nobody necessarily likes to pay taxes, but there are things we pay taxes on that we may never use. This is something that benefits our kids now and in the future, and in doing so, benefits our community,” Abseck said. “An investment in kids is never a bad thing, in my opinion. It gives them pride in where they’re from and what they do. It’s a win across the board for our community.

“This is a long-term investment that improves our school district for years to come. The lasting benefit far outweighs the small increase in taxes that some will face. I live in the district and pay taxes, and I know my bill will go up. But for me, it’s about the benefits this provides our kids.”