History of Red Hook's main field and actions taken to preserve it

The main athletic field at Red Hook’s high and middle schools is roughly 26 years old and in need of repair.

The district closed the field late last month amid concerns over the safety of its grass surface, just weeks after proposing a capital improvement project that would overhaul the space. The $6.085 million proposal will be Proposition 3 on the annual district budget and board election May 20. Learn more about the vote on the district’s voting page.

District leadership has discussed potential safety concerns and the need for repairs to the space for more than five years, with three previous reconstruction proposals failing to gain residents’ approval. Take a look at the history of the space and previous efforts to repair it here:

1999 – The current grass field is installed at the main field area. Throughout its history, the field is used predominantly as a competition field for varsity football and boys lacrosse.

2012 – Red Hook staff alters how it treats its fields in response to changes in state regulations banning the use of certain chemicals on fields at schools. Subsequently, it becomes more difficult to prevent weed growth and infestations of pests like grubs that damage grass roots, and the fields begin to show wear and tear. “If there’s traffic on weeds versus good grass, the weeds don’t hold up,” Athletic Director Tom Cassata said. “You get those bare spots on the field that are slipping areas. Good, thick, strong grass, the field holds up better.” The staff continues to aerate and reseed the fields and use alternative methods for discouraging weeds and pests.

2017 – The grass area that encompasses the football field, but not the surrounding grass area that includes the drainage ditches and areas behind the football end zones, was resodded. “That was a good fix for several years, until you kind of get back to where you are,” Cassata said.

Fall 2019 – Cassata brought the shape of the main field, including its uneven surface, patchy grass growth and potential for issues of safety, to the attention of the Board of Education at a meeting. “As we started to see that field go downhill, a lot of schools were talking about putting in turf. It seemed like a logical next step,” he said.

March 2020 – The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic derailed efforts to put a field renovation proposition on the following spring’s school budget and board election ballot. The proposition would have included most of the elements present in subsequent proposals

February 2022 – In a special referendum vote, a $5.3 million proposition to replace the main field’s grass with artificial turf and a new drainage system, resurface its track, make fencing repairs and install field lighting was rejected by residents. Voters approved a $21.9 million capital project for interior improvements that included HVAC systems, window and door replacements and a new roof for Linden Avenue Middle School’s gym.

May 2024 – A second attempt at creating a similar multipurpose athletics space is included as part of a $14.95 capital project that also encompassed a broad array of interior improvements. It was rejected as a proposition on the regular budget and board election ballot.

Summer 2024 – District officials and board members conducted broad outreach efforts, including live events and a survey, to listen to residents’ opinions on how the main field should be fixed and to shape what its next proposal should entail. Concerns over the environmental impact of artificial fields was a common sentiment conveyed. The district commissioned a report from Cornell University’s Chris Sitka, who concluded a broad renovation, rather than repair, of the main field was necessary, suggesting ways in which this can be done using either grass or artificial surfaces. He was among several expert voices at a special Facilities Committee meeting held in July.

October 2024 – Residents opt not to support a $7.67 million capital project that would have included a multipurpose artificial turf surface, track resurfacing, fencing repairs and new lighting. Two other propositions to fix two other field spaces with grass surfaces and interior renovations, totaling $13.6 million, were approved in a special referendum vote.

Feb. 20, 2025 – The Board of Education opts to move forward with another proposition centered on a grass field renovation for the upcoming May 20 budget vote and board election. The $6.085 million capital improvement project includes the above mentioned improvements in addition to renovating some of the high school’s bathrooms and installing a kiln room at LAMS. 

March 26, 2025 – After commissioning an independent assessment that showed the gradual erosion of the field's drainage slope now exceeds the safety limit recommended by the National Federation of High School Associations, district leadership decided to close the field pending repairs.