School board asks Parks & Rec and CHS Athletics for urgent Memorial Field plan, adopts emergency athletics transportation policy

The Concord School Board voted April 6 to ask the Parks and Recreation Department and Concord High School athletics to submit a prioritized plan by May 31 to address immediate safety and usability problems at Memorial Field, board members said.

At a City and Community Relations committee meeting earlier that evening, the committee described a deteriorating facility: the track was judged unsafe for competition, several sets of bleachers were condemned and drainage problems left multiple fields unusable despite the start of spring sports. The committee recommended removing support for the previously discussed full rebuild option and focusing instead on a surgical, phased first step to return as much playing time as possible to students.

The board resolution, passed by voice vote, asks Parks & Rec and CHS Athletics to present a plan that prioritizes drainage, the track and stadium, bleachers and lighting so the district and city can determine next steps and budget implications. The committee and several board members said the goal is to restore multi‑sport functionality quickly while keeping costs reasonable.

Separately, the board adopted an emergency amendment to Policy 7.12 (athletics and transportation) on a roll‑call vote. The emergency language permits greater flexibility to transport students to off‑site practice and competition facilities while Memorial Field is out of service. An amendment added during debate requires parent drivers who transport students as part of emergency arrangements to be designated district volunteers; the board asked the policy committee to review the emergency wording and report back at the May meeting.

Board members who spoke during debate emphasized three points: (1) the immediate priority is student safety and restoring as much usable field time as possible; (2) any volunteer driver arrangements must include district safeguards (designated volunteer status, documentation of insurance when feasible); and (3) the district will seek a plan that is time‑sensitive and cost‑conscious so that the city can consider funding in its budget cycle.

The board discussed an earlier allocation split of $1.2 million to cover design and permitting costs with a city match of $600,000, and clarified that prior approval applied only to planning/permitting and did not commit the board to a specific build option. Members amended the committee’s proposed deadline from June 30 to May 31 so the city budget process could account for the proposal.

The board also voted, without recorded individual tallies, to bring the committee proposal forward and to set the last day of school as June 18.