Looking around Lehighton Area School District’s new athletic stadium late Tuesday afternoon, Norm Arner couldn’t help but smile.

Arner was one of several members of the Class of 1964 to get a sneak peek at the $6.3 million facility during a tour hosted by district administration.“This really makes you proud to be an alumnus,” he said of the future home for Lehighton’s boys’ and girls’ soccer, field hockey, football and track and field teams.The project included replacing a natural grass field with artificial turf, home and visitor grandstands holding over 3,000 people, a press box, 62-by-260-foot field house and restroom facility, 42-by-74-foot maintenance building, two parking lots totaling over 300 spaces, a new lighting system and a large electronic scoreboard behind the stadium’s south end zone.Lettering spells out “Lehighton” in one end zone and “Indians” at the opposite end of the field.Following the upcoming spring sports season, the all-weather track will be resurfaced, bringing the project to a close.“You can really tell this was done right,” Gery Clay, fellow member of the Class of 1964, said of the handicap accessible stadium. “There is LED lighting throughout, adequate restrooms and locker room facilities. I’m glad there were no corners cut here.”The class is a donating a “Victory Bell” to be used during athletic events at the stadium.Travis Gerould said the class, which still has around 40 members who meet on a monthly basis, wanted to do something for the high school that would increase school spirit.“We came up with this bell, which will be bronze and about 20 inches high,” he said. “Our hope is that it will be used for all kinds of events whether they be athletic, academic or band competitions.”The bell, which has Lehighton High School inscribed on it and is still in storage, will be mounted on a mobile cart under construction by Carbon Career and Technical Institute students.When it’s not being used at the stadium, it will be on display in the high school.“We really want the students to kind of be the guardians,” Gerould said.Dedication of the bell, which was custom made in Ohio, is scheduled for Meet The Tribe night in August.Spring sports teams, including softball Tuesday afternoon, are holding voluntary practices on the artificial turf playing surface.Dave Yob, Lehighton’s boys’ soccer head coach and assistant softball coach, said athletes were champing at the bit to test out the new field.“We had an open gym for soccer out on the field and it just felt like a new energy,” Yob said. “The kids were all waiting outside and they couldn’t wait to get on the turf. We’re all getting used to the speed because it’s a faster game on turn.”While the baseball and softball teams won’t be playing games at the stadium, the turf surface gives them a chance to practice outdoors earlier than schools with natural grass.“It’s going to give us a big advantage, especially in spring sports after the winter weather, that we get outside earlier than other teams who have to practice in a gym,” Yob said.“There are times in the past when we didn’t get outside until the first game. That’s not going to happen anymore with a turf field to practice on.”Lehighton Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver said the stadium isn’t open to the public yet.“We’re still waiting on our occupancy permits before that can happen,” he said.