After years of waiting, Fauquier High School (FHS) will finally begin constructing a turf field. The new turf is set to replace the previous low-quality glass field that occupied Kelican Field. This new addition is a large stepping stone for improving the quality of FHS’s athletic department and furthering athletic opportunities for all students.

The consistent expansion of FHS’s athletic program led to this necessary addition. The field was originally built in the 1960s and only hosted five football games a year. Now, nearly 65 years later, FHS is home to six various athletic programs that utilize this field. This increase led to a higher demand for game time-space as well as room for practicing. FHS’s Director of Student Activities, Cornell Williams, explained this need by stating, “Turf fields allow us not only a game playing surface but it also adds another practice playing surface.” Currently, athletes are not permitted to practice on the grass field as it would cause damage to the field and would lead to the field being unusable for home games played on Kelican Field.

The state and sub-par maintenance of the grass field was a leading factor in the decision to switch to a turf field by Williams and members of the school board. Williams noted, “I was immediately aware of a significant drainage problem.” The lack of proper drainage and the inconsistent surface of the field were all aspects that were taken into consideration. Additionally, the turf field would allow for a more accurate schedule that will be more resistant to last-minute cancellations due to weather events.

Construction, as of now, is set to begin the first week of May and is expected to be completed by . Fauquier County partnered with Hellas Construction Company for the implementation of our new field. “[The county] heard bids from around five companies. A couple of reasons for [selecting Hellas] stated by the school board was that they came in with the most comprehensive plan for installing the turf… and they came in at one of the lowest price points,” said Williams. Hellas Construction Company was the contractor used during the construction of Liberty High School’s (LHS) turf field. With the new additions of FHS’s turf field and Kettle Run High School’s turf field that will be constructed alongside FHS’s, the county now has access to 2 additional turf fields on top of the 2 they previously had access to. The turf fields at LHS and the Central Sports Complex will be essential for athletes participating in the Spring 2025 season. Construction will, unfortunately, interfere with the athletic season, causing many home games to be scheduled at the two locations as well as impacting the graduation class of 2025. Due to the new turf field, graduation is set to be held at Jiffy Lube Live.

Constructing a turf field is not a slim expense. Williams stated, “The Fauquier County board of supervisors… committed $1.2 million to the projects, both here and at Kettle Run, with the school system contributing an additional $1.2 million.” Despite these generous donations, any remaining balance for construction will fall onto the school. This has led to FHS contacting the Fauquier Booster Club. FHS Booster Club Secretary Craig Rooke explained, “Principal David Ferguson and Williams have approached the Booster Club for funding for the turf field project. We met with them on March 10 to discuss. There will be a motion to allocate funds for the turf field at the next Booster Club meeting on March 24 to approve or deny the request.” The additional funding from the booster club could help fund the remaining costs. However, without community engagement, the booster club has fewer possible funds to allocate. The Fauquier community is encouraged to participate in the annual 10k dinner, an adults-only event, to bring funds to the booster club. Rooke adds, “We plan to have a donation station set up for money to be donated directly towards the turf field. Parents and local businesses can also make a monetary donation to the Fauquier Booster Club, which is specifically earmarked for the turf fields. For example, Camping World has made a generous donation of $2,500 to go towards the turf field.”