Nixa High School’s athletic facilities named for CoxHealth

Nixa Public Schools and CoxHealth today announced a community partnership that will officially rename the district’s centerpiece athletics and events campus at Nixa High School as The Complex, presented by CoxHealth.

The multiyear agreement goes into effect July 1 and will kick off celebration of Nixa Public Schools’ 125th year.

The Complex includes The Apex, the Aetos Center for the Performing Arts, Eagle Stadium, and an expanding footprint of fields, practice facilities, educational facilities and shared community spaces. The Complex name and location will encompass the high school campus located between Nicholas Road and Gregg Road in Nixa.

“In times like these where public education dollars are being cut, having partners like CoxHealth gives us the ability to keep moving forward,” said Nixa Superintendent Gearl Loden, in a news release. “It also allows us to do more with our local and state funding.”

CoxHealth, for its part, will invest $200,000 a year for 10 years.

“Our goal is always to pay our teachers and staff well. When funding is tight, other projects are paused or pushed aside,” Loden said. “This partnership with CoxHealth will help us continue moving forward at The Complex as we keep our eye on what could be 10, 20 and 30 years down the road for the students and community of Nixa.”

A key element of the partnership is CoxHealth's commitment to the health of Nixa student athletes.

CoxHealth sports medicine physicians will provide support to athletes competing at The Complex, as well as other Nixa athletic facilities, extending expert care onto the fields and courts where Nixa students train and compete, according to the release.

“This agreement reflects a shared belief that healthy students are better learners, better competitors and better community members,” said Dr. Tim Jones, CoxHealth executive vice president and chief physician executive, in the release. “We believe that a health system deeply rooted in southwest Missouri has a meaningful role to play in supporting the next generation, and this agreement lets us do that.”

According to the release, health and wellness awareness messaging – covering topics such as nutrition, hydration and injury prevention – will be integrated into athletic programming throughout the year.

CoxHealth education materials will also be incorporated into classrooms and learning spaces connected to Nixa's medical training and healthcare education programs, creating early exposure to healthcare careers for students who may one day join the region's healthcare workforce and expand Nixa’s desire to showcase various career opportunities to students before they graduate from Nixa.

The partnership will help infuse funding into this property and help make The Complex a high-quality location for events and activities, officials say.The partnership will help put the infrastructure in place so that when the district has future bond issues to build projects on the high school campus, the foundation is in place to allow that to happen quickly and efficiently.

“Together, Nixa Public Schools and CoxHealth are building something that goes far beyond a sponsorship,” said Kyle Brown, CoxHealth’s vice president of marketing and communications, in a release. “We are building a long-term community partnership designed to make The Complex a healthier, stronger, more connected place for everyone who calls the Nixa area home.”