Our community and taxpayers invested nearly $7 million in our Athletic Complex between NHS and the Yelle School. These fields, courts, and facilities were built for our students and community to enjoy, and we all have a shared responsibility to take care of them.
Unfortunately, we are already seeing some of the same concerns at the Athletic Complex that we dealt with last year. After repeated issues with bikes, e-bikes, scooters, and skateboards on the new tennis courts, we ultimately had to lock the courts when they were not in use. This year, we have seen bikes, e-bikes, scooters, and skateboards on the turf fields, along with trash being left behind and athletic equipment being moved or used inappropriately. This week following our early release, our custodial staff had to clean up a huge amount of trash left by students.
We want our students and community members to be able to enjoy these facilities, and we do not want to have to limit access to the turf fields in the same way we did with the tennis courts. However, if these issues continue, we will need to consider additional restrictions to protect the fields and the significant investment our community has made in them.
Parents, please speak directly with your children about this. Bikes, e-bikes, scooters, and skateboards do not belong on the turf or courts. Trash needs to be disposed of properly. Athletic equipment should not be moved or used without permission. Posted rules must be followed.
As we continue to introduce the Lancer Way across our schools, this is a great opportunity for our students to LEAD; to take responsibility for their actions, make good choices, and take care of the spaces that belong to all of us. Leadership isn’t just something that happens in the classroom or on the athletic field; it is demonstrated in the choices we make every day and in how we treat our schools and our community.