Community groups press Hacienda La Puente Unified to reopen and renovate youth sports fields; board hears multiple partnership proposals

Dozens of public commenters at the March 13 Hacienda La Puente Unified School District board meeting urged the district to prioritize reopening and renovating unused athletic fields and to make access available to community youth leagues.

Speakers representing Infuego Kids, the La Puente National Little League and a national tournament operator described partnerships and past work in neighboring districts and asked the board to amend or extend agreements to allow immediate community programming. "We come bearing gifts. We come bearing enthusiasm," Alex Coral of Infuego said, describing plans to renovate fields and run programs.

Monique Dominguez, president of La Puente National Little League, asked the board to prioritize green space for local youth teams rather than exclusively pursuing large, out‑of‑district tournament business. Sergio Palos of National Championship Sports described his nonprofit's experience hosting tournaments and offered a no‑cost renovation model.

Speakers and trustees flagged financial and legal details that the board would need to resolve before approving long‑term partnerships: potential insurance costs tied to a lease, the district's obligation to prioritize students, and how any external revenue would be used. One public commenter asked that outside users pay rent rather than use district funds to subsidize non‑resident athletes.

Board members agreed the topic merited further staff work and directed follow‑up on insurance requirements, lease terms and equity of access; item 7.05b (utilization of closed district properties) was discussed during public comment and flagged for future board consideration.

The board did not take a final vote on field leases during the meeting; trustees scheduled a continuance for March 18 to process outstanding time‑sensitive items and complete deliberations on remaining agenda matters.