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Parent urges Poway Unified to fix Westview fields; district says varsity/high-use fields prioritized
Summary
At a Sept. 29 workshop a Westview parent said gopher damage has left back fields unusable for years; facilities staff said gopher extermination and field-restoration scheduling will prioritize varsity and high-use fields and that a site-specific schedule will be shared with principals.
A Poway Unified parent urged the school board on Sept. 29 to set a clear timeline and hold vendors accountable to repair Westview High School’s damaged fields, saying long-term gopher holes have left the campus forcing many teams to share a single turf field.
"These fields should be serving 20 teams and our award-winning band," parent Janelle Lansky told the board, and she asked for an "agreed upon timeline this school year to solve the gopher problem, fill the holes, and make the field safe again." Lansky identified herself as a parent and a representative of the Wolverine Athletic Foundation.
Facilities staff responded in public Q&A that the district prioritizes varsity and other high-use athletic fields and that gopher eradication (extermination) and follow-on turf repairs are part of field-maintenance planning. "Our primary focus are athletic fields, the high use. So, our varsity fields are our primary focus," Director of Facilities Maintenance and Operations Ruben Aris said, adding that the district will share a schedule with site principals after coordinating with contractors.
Board members pressed for clarification about vendor accountability and whether field maintenance is driven by work orders; staff said vendors are monitored and that some field repairs require off-season work to avoid conflict with athletic schedules. Staff also discussed partnerships and donations, saying groups can partner with the district but that community organizations would need formal agreements to assist with field improvements.
The exchange underscored tensions between immediate athlete safety needs and limited maintenance budgets; staff said they will follow up with a site-specific schedule and additional updates to the board.
