NEW KENT — New Kent County Public Schools want to push for improved sports facilities as the school division looks at its future capital needs, including a shift from grass to artificial turf on some fields.
Superintendent Brian Nichols Nichols recently highlighted the pressures on school fields as he signaled his desire to replace grass playing surfaces with artificial turf, which would be in line with many neighboring school divisions.
Nichols made his comments as the school board approved a well project for irrigation and upgrades to a concessions stand on July 31.
“We need a different solution for our fields. So we’re adding middle school field hockey. The number of teams that are now playing on those fields, we really need to look at a different solution, more of a long-term solution,” he said.
“Right now, outside of Smithfield, we are the only team in the Bay Rivers (District) not on turf. Bruton (in York County) now has their own turf field, Poquoson’s on their second turf field. When you look at soccer, and you look at field hockey, and middle school and high school football, they are all playing on the same field,” Nichols said. “That field cannot, even under the best conditions, stand up to that wear and tear.”
Nichols promised a “big push” in the fall as the division draws up its Capital Improvement Program .
“We’ve got to move forward on that. If we can’t do this well thing that gives us an even greater sense of urgency to these facilities,” he said.
“We are currently playing on grass across all of our high school fields,” Nichols said in an email Monday. “Almost all of the schools in our district have shifted to turf football/soccer/field hockey fields. We added middle school field hockey this year which adds an additional team on the field. A shift to turf would involve considerable collaboration and planning with the county.”
Assistant Superintendent of Operations Jonathan Hochman outlined the well project at New Kent High School to the board on July 31. A well improvement costing $6,000 will be able to support irrigation for the stadium and baseball and softball fields. The other $4,000 would be for upgrades to the concessions stand at the stadium.
Hochman said the division would use an old well. “Currently we do not have irrigation … the well needs some work.” The initial $6,000 would entail taking the cap off the well, putting a camera inside, and cleaning a filter.
The board unanimously approved spending $10,000 on the well project and an improvement to the concessions stand.
David Macaulay, [email protected]
