These Visalia students get huge upgrade on the field

The grass has never been greener at Highland Elementary School in Visalia.

And now, it's going to stay green, because it is not grass at all.

When Highland students returned to school last month, they were excited to witness their bare, dusty (or muddy) playground being replaced with a turf field - all-weather AstroTurf for recess, recreation, physical education and more.

Principal Jessice Peredo said anticipation was at fever pitch the first week of school as students watched their new field take shape.

"You could see the kids get more and more excited as they watched the work," Peredo said. "Anticipation was high."

Highland, a K-6th grade elementary school at 701 N. Stevenson St., has one of the smallest areas of any school in the district. The outdoor recess area that serves about 430 students was subjected to continuous heavy use, for P.E., recess and sports.

Superintendent Kirk Shrum said that the recreation area was worn out, and the children were playing on dirt.

"They couldn't get grass to grow there, because it was always in use," he said.

Worse yet, it wasn't an appealing play area.

"The new field gives the kids more fun," Peredo said, "and less boredom.

"Our families are excited to come and enjoy games during and after school."

Shrum also noted that Highland, one of Visalia's older schools, built in 1980, served one of the city's neediest neighborhoods. Providing its students with a nice place to play was a much-deserved objective.

"I know this space is an incredible asset to our Highland community, and this field will be used for years to come,” Shrum said at the Aug. 24 ribbon-cutting attended by parents, students, teachers and school board members.

Thanks to voter-approved funding for California public schools, the district could afford it. The field was paid for with VUSD facility funds and the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELOP), a statewide after-school program. The cost was a cool $1 million.

Juan Castellanos, parent of second-grader Eden, believes the investment was worth it.

"Eden was so excited, and now he loves to stay after school," he said.

Castellanos explained that Highland is a neighborhood school, and most students walk home after school in a sometimes threatening environment.

"This new field is actually a matter of student safety," he said.

Students can now use the field all year long, including during the hot summer months, because the field is kept cool with corn husk infill and a water system that runs throughout. The project also fenced off an oak tree and its roots, providing safety for children and the tree.

The field is also being used by new physical education instructors, funded through Proposition 28, an innovation in Visalia elementary schools as of last year.

Solar panels over a large stretch of the play area prevented grass from growing and made it mud in winter.

"I would dress Eden for school, and in 30 minutes, he would be covered in mud," Castellanos said.

The expanded area gives students more room to spread out, increase sports opportunities, and enjoy the outdoors during all seasons. ProGrassWest was the design/build contractor using Astroturf. The 40,000 square feet of synthetic turf is made of recycled plastic and is treated with a blend of sand, corn husk, and organic cool infill.

The field has baseball, kickball and soccer lines built in, and will be used for recess, physical education, and after-school programs.

The field can also be used by qualifying community groups on weekends, Peredo said, as long as they register with the district and have their own insurance.

"This allows the community to benefit from this project, too," she said.

Just a few weeks into the new school year, the new field is already opening  up new recreation opportunities. Highland has begun an after-school sports program for flag football, soccer, and basketball that is operated by a national organization, Elevo. The sports are conducted with an emphasis on building interpersonal skills such as perseverance, patience and teamwork.

Another new program is called Stride, which teaches skills in running. Castellanos is a coordinator.

"It's about building character," he said.

The most anticipated new event of the school year, however, will be the flag football game next Friday with nearby Houston Elementary School. Not having had a suitable field before this year, Highland never had a chance to participate in interscholastic outdoor sports. When the Highland Huskies host the Houston Bears in flag football, it will be the inaugural "Battle of the Paws."

Ultimately, the longest-lasting benefits of the new field will be the memories students will take with them of games, play times, and friendships, Peredo said.

"These will be the things they remember."

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: These Visalia students get huge upgrade on the field