Plan or program · on the record since 2025 · discussed in 15 transcribed meetings

Softball Field

The Fairfax High School softball field project involves converting the existing grass softball field to a turf field, estimated at $2.5 million.

Project

CIP Update

in progress

The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is an ongoing, multi-year budget planning effort covering infrastructure, facilities, parks, and recreation investments across the district and city. On October 20, 2025, Acting Superintendent Dan Phillips presented an updated CIP budget to the School Board during a Work Session, incorporating added HVAC funding and revised cost estimates for the football turf field replacement and softball field; that updated CIP was slated to be brought forward at the next regular School Board meeting.

Oct 20, 2025School Board · item 1.03
CIP Update
[1.03] Updated costs for the softball field were included in the revised CIP budget presented at this work session.
minutes agenda

Other mentions

Dec 11, 2025Parks and Recreation Advisory Board · item 5din progress
Stakeholder Update – Planning Commission (Matt Rice)
The FHS softball field renovation appears in the current draft Capital Improvement Program as a project of interest to PRAB.
minutes agenda
Oct 5, 2026School Board · item 2.04proposed
Proposed Capital Improvement Program FY2028-2032 Presentation
[2.04] Installation of a turf softball field is one of the three primary requests included in the proposed CIP FY2028–2032 presented at this meeting.
minutes agenda

In full

The project has appeared in successive Capital Improvement Program (CIP) drafts over multiple fiscal years. As of October 2025, an updated cost estimate confirmed the $2.5 million figure with no increase, and the project was planned for FY2028 rather than FY2027, with planning to begin in the near term. A secondary option discussed was repositioning the field to use a grass field in the back corner of the property.

The softball field renovation was flagged as a project of interest during the Planning Commission's December 2025 annual capital facilities review, with PRAB feedback requested. By October 2026, installation of a turf softball field was formally included as one of three primary requests in the proposed CIP FY2028–2032 presented to the School Board, with a board vote scheduled for November 2026. The project remains proposed and has not yet received final approval from either the School Board or City Council.

Status

proposed

Status set at the School Board Regular Meeting on Oct 5, 2026

Still open

School Board vote on the proposed CIP FY2028–2032 (including the softball field) is scheduled for the November 2026 meeting — outcome not yet recorded.
Following School Board action, the CIP must go to the Mayor, City Council, and Planning Commission for consideration; a final City Council vote in May is required before anything is approved.
Whether the project scope includes renovation to the press box has been raised but not answered in the record.
The alternative option of repositioning the field to the back-corner grass area has not been formally resolved or eliminated.
PRAB feedback on the softball field renovation (flagged as a potential January 2026 agenda item) has no recorded outcome in the material.

What members have said

Dan Phillips (Acting Superintendent)
At the October 2025 work session, Phillips presented the updated CIP including confirmed softball field costs of $2.5 million, clarified the project involves turfing the current grass field (not replacing existing turf), and noted an alternative option of using the back-corner grass field as the softball field. He indicated the project is slated for FY2028 with planning beginning now.
Dr. Wright (Superintendent)
At the October 2026 regular meeting, Dr. Wright presented the proposed CIP FY2028–2032 to the board, identifying the turf softball field installation as one of three primary requests, describing it as a proposal to modernize the stadium for the softball teams and the community.
Unidentified board/commission member (2025-10-20)
Expressed a preference for moving forward on projects like the baseball and softball field rather than continuing to delay year after year, using the phrase 'you can keep punting down the field every year.'
Unidentified PRAB member (2025-12-08)
Expressed skepticism about the $2.5 million softball field conversion, stating they would want more information and questioning whether it should be prioritized, particularly if the field is in poor condition — while acknowledging they did not have enough information to make a firm judgment.
Unidentified board member (2026-09-28)
Stated that HVAC at the high school and middle school are their top priorities because they directly affect student and teacher health and learning. Suggested the auditorium and softball field — both community-use areas — might be candidates for external partnerships or alternate funding, noting 'it would be nice if we could find somebody… to partner.'
Unidentified speaker (2026-02-09)
During a CIP review, noted that the softball field (along with restroom/entrance enhancements and turf replacement) was not rising to the same level of urgency as security-related items, contextualizing it among competing priorities.

Positions as recorded in meeting minutes; votes without recorded comment aren’t summarized.

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