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[caption id="attachment_174613" align="aligncenter" width="640"] A view of the football field at Colonial Forge High School [Photo: Facebook][/caption]

Some Stafford County residents asked elected leaders to fund new artificial turf fields for two county high schools.

Citing disparity and safety concerns, residents say these two schools are last in the county, lacking such amenities.

A couple of residents took the opportunity to address the Stafford County Board of Supervisors during its public comment time earlier this month on the subject of artificial turf fields at local high schools.

According to Carol Leicher, a volunteer coach for the North Stafford Field Hockey team, the team had to hold practice on grass fields while many of the schools in the county have artificial turf fields on the school grounds.

Leicher also named Colonial Forge High School as the only other high school in the area without a turf field; the volunteer coach cited that Colonial Forge had to rent a turf field from the nearby Embrey Mill community to practice.

Mountain View, Stafford Senior, and Brooke Point, the other high schools in the county, all have artificial turf fields.

Leicher also recounted being told that North Stafford would soon get a turf field only to be told at the end of 2021 that the installation of the field had been moved to 2024. According to Leicher, this would be 10 years since the county started installing artificial turf fields.

"This is a parity issue of not being afforded the same competition turf fields that exist in three of our county schools. Our kids are being short-changed," said Leicher to the board.

Leicher also noted that turf fields are the expected type for outdoor sports teams and are required for state-level competitions. The coach complimented her team for adapting to different types of playing fields but that it shouldn't be a necessity.

Resident Margaret Lowery from the Rock Hill District joined Leicher, who also called for funding artificial turf fields for the two high schools.

Lowery noted that both Colonial Forge and North Stafford are spending $20,000 to maintain the grass fields. This includes the cost of preparation, seeding, and maintenance of the area. It is an expense that the other schools do not have and can use the funds to upgrade their athletic equipment.

Lowery confirmed Leicher's report about Colonial Forge having to rent the field at Embrey Mill and spending $25,000 for the field hockey team to practice.

Both residents asked that the board and the county school system work together to find the funds to install the artificial turf in those schools.

Stafford County Public School's Director of Public and Community Relations Sandra Osborn confirmed to Potomac Local News that plans for the two high schools are in the school's Capital Improvement Plans for 2024, but they have not been funded.

According to the school division's capital improvement plan, installing an artificial turf field at North Stafford High School is scheduled for Fiscal Year 2023. It is estimated to cost $1.5 million.

Colonial Forge High School is scheduled to have maintenance performed on their athletic fields in FY 2026 and 2027, estimated to cost $500,000.

Colonial Forge High School is not scheduled to get an artificial turf field in the 2018-2027 timeframe of the school CIP.

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Before letting it go, the Stafford County School Board wants to discuss with the Board of Supervisors a piece of property that would be the site of a new high school.

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A 181-acre parcel of land deemed unfit to build a school could soon belong to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors.

County leaders plan to sell the land located at 135 Clift Farm Road in the Falmouth District. The parcel is listed at $1.3 million. However, according to county documents, that price does not reflect the current market value, making a reevaluation necessary.

According to the county's property records, the land cost was $4.8 million when the school board purchased the tract in 2006.

In their documentation, the county estimates that selling the property would provide funds to reduce future borrowing.

The county School Board purchased the Clift Farm property in December 2006 to build a high school. Over the years, the county's population has blossomed to more than 150,000 people, increasing the need for new school buildings.

According to county documents, due to a lack of infrastructure, including roads, water, and sewer, the property is inappropriate for the needs of a new school. The parcel is also located in the flight path for the Stafford County Regional Airport.

On November 16, the county Board of Supervisors asked the School Board to convey the parcel to the to the county government, after the School Board has decided to deem the land as surplus. According to county documents, the plan uses the money from the parcel's sale to provide revenue for future school construction.

The School Board has yet to convey the land to the supervisors. 

The Stafford County School Board has long acknowledged the need for new schools to deal with the growing student population. The school board is currently moving forward with plans to build the county's sixth high school with a $150 million price tag, according to School Board documents from earlier this year.

The school will be located in the county's Hartwood District and will open by Spring 2025.

Information from the county also acknowledges the need for more schools at every level. This includes a new middle school, two new elementary schools, a seventh high school, and an early childhood education center, estimated to cost $200 million.

The county's seventh high school is projected to be part of the major projects listed in the school board's Fiscal Year 2023-2032 Capital Improvement Projects request. The school does not have an estimated price tag.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the Stafford School Board conveyed the property to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, and that the property is listed on the Real Estate market. 

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The Stafford County School Board held a special meeting on Wednesday, November 10 to introduce its new superintendent, Dr. Thomas Taylor.

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