BUFFALO TWP — The new home of Freeport School District football and other athletics will be in the township on the high school/middle school campus.

The school board voted 6-0 Wednesday night to put a new stadium on campus rather than to renovate the current football field in Freeport. Board members Frank Borrelli, Frank Prazenica and Mark Shoaf were absent.

VEBH Architects of Pittsburgh had presented seven construction options to the board. Four called for the stadium on campus and three called for the field to stay in Freeport. All options included a turf field.

Board member Christine Davies said she favored building the stadium on campus. Board member John Marty said he would look at what is best for the students.

Board member Barbara Toy Gaydos noted that the district does not own the stadium in Freeport, which is owned by the borough.

“I’m saying I want the project here,” Toy-Gaydos said about being on the school campus.

She pointed out that the district still does not know where the stadium will be on campus or how much it will cost.

“This is our first step,” Toy-Gaydos said.

The board approved borrowing more than $18 million with some of that helping to pay for the $33 million middle school construction and other building repairs.

The rest of the funding will be used for a new stadium, which is expected to be less than $4 million.

Freeport Mayor Jim Swartz said the way the stadium item was worded in the meeting agenda made it appear that putting the stadium in the township was a “done deal.”

Board President Dan Lucovich said board members who voted for the item would be voting to have the stadium on the campus and those voting against it would be voting to keep it in Freeport.

Rich Hill, Freeport borough treasurer, said he felt like the district never sat down with the borough and never gave it the chance to look at the options.

Before the vote took place, District resident Scott Speer said that it appeared that board members already made up their minds without any discussion.

Lucovich said the board discussed the issue Dec. 3.

George Wolfe, owner of Wolfie’s Pizza in Freeport, said the borough residents were not involved in the process.

“I feel we’re not even part of the discussion,” Wolfe said.

He said Friday night homes games are great for his business, and said he could lose thousands of dollars without those games.