Prince William County Public Schools has expanded public access to high school running tracks after a successful pilot program, allowing community members to walk, jog, or run at most high schools during designated hours.
According to Meghan Silas, a spokeswoman for the school division, PWCS traditionally kept high school tracks closed to the public outside of school activities and formal community rentals. Limited access began at Colgan High School and Forest Park High School roughly five years ago.
In fall 2025, the division launched a pilot at Unity Reed High School, Gainesville High School, and Forest Park High School, opening the tracks during daylight hours when they were not needed for school practices, games, events, or community rentals.
“Throughout the pilot, no significant safety, security, operational, or maintenance concerns were identified,” Silas said. As a result, the program expanded in spring 2026 to tracks at all high schools during designated hours—with one exception.
Public access is not allowed when a track or stadium is reserved for school use or through the Community Use program. The Prince William County School Board supports the effort as part of its commitment to giving community stakeholders reasonable access to school facilities.
One Exception
The track at Brentsville District High School is not open to the public. School officials said the stadium field serves as an instructional space for students enrolled in the Brentsville Turf Toro Grounds Academy, a career and technical education program focused on turfgrass management.
Community access is limited to the track surface itself. Walking, jogging, and running are permitted. The field, stadium seating, goals, and other equipment remain off-limits. Pets are not allowed on the track or within the stadium grounds. Tracks are closed on school holidays, teacher workdays, and other days when students are not in session. School activities and rentals always take priority.
Hours are not the same at every school. Residents can find specific schedules by visiting the division’s central page at pwcs.edu/community/tracks, which links to individual high school community track use pages. Middle school tracks remain available outside school hours during daylight unless needed by the school.
The policy aims to balance public use with facility care and safety. Officials ask visitors to treat campuses with respect so the tracks remain available.
For the latest hours and any temporary closures, check the PWCS tracks page or the individual school websites before heading out.
