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Students and school leaders urge single-night Priory celebration, say lights would broaden access
Summary
Several students and the Portola Valley school superintendent told the commission a single night event under temporary lights would create lasting memories, boost girls' sports visibility and enable families who work evenings to attend; supporters asked the commission to find a path forward.
A group of students, parents and the superintendent of Portola Valley School District spoke in favor of a single-night Priory event with temporary lights, saying it would expand access and create memorable experiences for youth. Rising sophomore Sofia Long said a night game would “create that kind of atmosphere” for players and bring visibility to girls’ sports. Student captain Case Klein said playing under lights would “mean everything to me” and that the event would bring together middle schoolers, high schoolers, families and local businesses.
Roberta Zarrea, superintendent of Portola Valley School District, told commissioners the event would encourage “meaningful community participation” and help form positive connections between students at multiple schools. Parent speakers cited experiences at other towns’ night games and said the one-night nature of the proposal made it appropriate if the lighting impacts were minimized.
Supporters asked the commission to weigh community-building benefits and suggested conditions such as firm shutoff times and close coordination on traffic and noise. Staff reiterated the 294-vehicle parking cap in the CUP and asked that any revised packet include precise noise-monitoring plans and finalized traffic coordination.
