As educators, our sole mission is to support our children. We are so fortunate to live in a community that supports the extracurricular life of our kids; from volunteer coaches, to off-Island travel sports, to pickup games, there are many options. Nonetheless, the opportunities for our Island’s children can be limited, and for too long, we have neglected our main athletic campus. It’s time to make that commitment and give our students the fields and track they deserve.

That is why the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and the Vineyard public schools at large have submitted plans to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission and the Oak Bluffs planning board to build and improve the high school’s athletic campus. This project is grounded in a renewed focus on our students’ physical and emotional well-being, and it follows the recommendations of Chris Huntress, an award-winning expert in the design and construction of natural grass and synthetic surface athletic fields on high school and college campuses. We commissioned the Huntress team to develop a campus-wide plan that provides a safe and long-lasting track, as well as improved playing fields not just for the high school, but for the broader Island community.

The first phase of this two-phase project is now before the MVC and the Oak Bluffs planning board. It includes an eight-lane, 400-meter running track, one synthetic multi-purpose field, one natural grass multi-purpose field, a grandstand and press box, a field house with weight room, public restrooms and concessions, and ADA-compliant pathways. The track, grandstand, synthetic field, and LED sports lights will run parallel to the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road, minimizing the impact on our neighbors while maximizing the long-range use and viability of the athletic campus. The cost for the first phase of this project is $7.7 million, which will be privately funded. Significant donations have already been pledged.

The deteriorating condition of our fields and track compels us to move forward. The track was built more than 20 years ago. While the surface was top coated in 2016, this was a temporary fix that would buy us two to three years of use. Today, the track has noticeable heaves and depressions. The asphalt surface is cracking and de-laminated. The track is at the end of its useful life, is in disrepair, and needs replacement.

We have a responsibility to provide our students with a track and athletic fields that are safe, durable, and healthy, and the time to deliver on that promise is now.

Once phase one is completed, the second phase of this project will add four more natural grass, multi-purpose athletic fields, two natural grass softball fields, and one natural grass baseball field, and again will be fully funded by private donors.

This conversation has been ongoing for the last four years. We have, as a result, taken every step to ensure that we’re using materials that are safe, durable, and environmentally sound. The improvements are sensitive to the ecosystem by using 100 per cent recyclable turf materials and infill made of sustainably harvested Georgia Loblolly pine trees which contains no heavy metals, PAH, VOC, or other chemically-based ingredients. The field also incorporates a resilient shock pad which improves player safety and shock attenuation, reducing the risk of injuries from head to field contact by as much as 50 per cent.

We have all learned much in this process over the last four years. A single, synthetic field is critical to our ability to maintain the integrity and revitalization of the five natural grass fields, which are so important to player safety.

With the assistance of Huntress Associates which evaluated the high school and community’s long-term needs and requirements, we will finally have an athletic complex that will stand the test of time, be environmentally sound, provide a safer, more secure constellation of fields for our students, and give our community added incentive to engage in more outdoor activities, which includes coming out to root for our home teams.

Dr. Richie Smith is the assistant superintendent for Martha’s Vineyard public schools.