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Northern High parents urge board to hold town hall after new campus reported unsafe and incomplete athletic facilities
Summary
Multiple parents, boosters and community members told the board that Northern High School’s new campus has athletic and infrastructure problems — insufficient field sizes, leaks, safety concerns and lost rental revenue — and requested a district town hall on site to resolve outstanding issues.
A group of Northern High School parents, booster‑club leaders and student athletes told the Durham Public Schools Board of Education on March 27 that safety and usability problems at the new Northern campus have persisted since the school opened.
Speakers said a regulation soccer field was built too small to host North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) regulation matches, lacrosse fields are undersized, and baseball and softball foul territory fences are below regulation height. Parents and booster‑club volunteers told the board that infield mixes were not properly distributed and that volunteer work and a $7,000 school investment were required to reduce injury risk. Other complaints included a leaking ticket booth and concession stand garage doors that caused property damage and concern about mold, insufficient locker‑room space (one locker room for all outdoor sports), inadequate storage for field‑maintenance equipment and unusable electronic signage at the campus entrance.
Speakers said the architect’s release of portions of the building for nonacademic use had stalled, costing the school an estimated $10,000 in rental revenue this academic year. Several speakers said the problems were causing families to consider enrolling students in other districts or charter schools. The Northern community formally requested that the board schedule a town hall at Northern’s campus to hear more detailed testimony and see the facilities.
Board members did not take action during the meeting. Several board members and administrators acknowledged hearing the concerns and said staff would follow up. Parents and booster leaders specifically requested a site‑visit meeting with the board to review outstanding safety and liability issues and to get clear next steps from central office.
