One high school football team in Texas is going to need a lot more Friday night lights.

Allen High in suburban Dallas is nearing the completion of a $60 million upgrade that will transform its football stadium into a college-style coliseum.

The state-of-the-art behemoth will boast an 18,000-seat horseshoe seating area with an upper deck, a video scoreboard, a two-tier press box, concession stands as well as an arts auditorium, training room and indoor practice arena for the golf team.

More than 60% of the city’s residents voted in favor of the project in 2009, but some education officials have said that the project is excessive because schools around the state have been slashing budgets.

“It’s hard when people are losing their jobs and you’re building a $60 million dollar stadium and an auditorium and things like that,” school athletic director Steve Williams told CNN. “But…those are two separate things. You can’t take that money for buildings and hire teachers with it.”

“It meets the needs and desires of our community,” said Gary Stocker, president of the Allen school board, told The Dallas Morning News. “We’re a one-high-school town. Everyone’s an Eagle in Allen.”

The Eagles’ current stadium, built in 1976, holds more than 14,000 fans, but supporters say that’s a tight squeeze on game day.

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Nearly 5,000 students attend Allen — the only high school in the district – and its marching band is the largest high school band in the country, with more than 600 members.

“I think that’s what people who aren’t for this area or aren’t from Texas don’t understand the magnitude of the event and how many people come to watch and support their kids,” Williams said. 

The plan also adds 1,500 extra parking spot to the 5,000 already available.

Texas School District Superintendent Ken Helvey predicts the new gridiron palace will be a cash cow for the strapped town.

“The stadium alone is going to generate considerable revenue for the community,” Helvey told CNN. “A lot of people may not understand this, but that revenue goes right back into the whole fund for the teachers. It doesn’t go directly to the football program.”

The stadium is scheduled to be completed next year and the first game is to be played in August 2012.

There are at least four larger high school stadiums in Texas, but they are typically used by more than one team.