The track and field would be used for athletics, outdoor physical education, marching band practices and performances, year-round community recreation, and more.

Hockinson High School (HHS) is the only school without an artificial turf stadium field in its 17-school Greater St Helens league.

Our current field does not meet the facility requirements for postseason football and soccer competitions. This means that our athletes have to travel and rent other facilities, adding unnecessary expenses to our athletic budget.

In Hockinson, it’s possible to host home games and postseason football and soccer competitions. This would reduce travel and rental expenses for our athletics program.

The existing grass field can support a limited number of events each year—about 20 football and soccer games—due to wear and tear concerns. This limitation also means we can't rent the field out to community groups. Additionally, the maintenance costs for the grass field exceed $10,000 annually. This includes watering, painting and repainting lines, fertilizing, sanding, seeding, and mowing.

The track surrounding our field, installed in 2003, has reached the end of its lifespan. Tracks like ours typically last between 8-15 years. We're spending between $8,000 to $10,000 each year to patch up age-related issues.

Why Synthetic Turf?

Hockinson High School (HHS) is currently the only school without an artificial turf stadium field in its 17-school Greater St Helens league. This means that HHS students practice on grass but often play on synthetic turf. A synthetic turf field also provides a playing surface that can be used year-round, unlike grass fields that often become muddy or unsafe during the rainy season. While about half of NFL teams use natural grass, their needs differ greatly—they play much faster and harder than the average high school student. Synthetic turf significantly reduces ongoing maintenance expenses like watering, mowing, and replanting.