The less than year-old football field and track complex at West Central Valley High School has some major issues to be dealt with as we transition into spring.

Superintendent Dr. David Arnold tells Raccoon Valley Radio that portions of the new track have heaved and the football field has substantial divoting that runs the full length of the field.  Arnold says a definitive cause of the problem is unknown at this time, though it is likely the deep ground frost played a large role in creating “subsoil issues.”

Arnold calls the entire situation unfortunate.

“It will get fixed and it will get back to the way it is supposed to be, but unfortunately, our students are the ones getting bit because we’ve had to cancel our home track meets and we’ve had to switch soccer games to the old football field.  So, it’s very disappointing, it’s very frustrating.  I’ve never seen anything in my 30 years that was to this much damage on a brand new facility.”

Arnold is unsure of what the cost might be to fix the issues at the athletic complex, and a repair estimate will not be made until a cause is determined.  He hopes to know the cause in the very near future.

Arnold says it is likely the track portion of the complex will have to be ripped out entirely and re-laid.  He would not speculate as to how long that process might take, but he does say “the repairs won’t be a fast fix.”