Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Lawrence school district has completed a major renovation of the soccer field at Lawrence Middle School, on Aug. 8. The project, approved by the Board of Trustees on April 20, comes as frustration continues to grow among residents over the Lawrence High School football team’s lack of a home field.
At the April 20 meeting, the board approved a $300,000 bid to renovate the middle school soccer field. The project was not included in the district’s 2025-26 school budget.
“It’s going to completely redo the soccer field so our high school team should be able to start using it during the summer for practice,” Board of Trustees President Heshy Blachorsky said at the meeting. “This includes removing all the excess grass, repairing the sprinkler system and grading topsoil. Hopefully this will be able to get the soccer team off the ground and have a nice, brand new field to practice on.”
The project ultimately cost about $570,000, including new bleachers, according to Superintendent Ann Pedersen.
“The field was completely redone because we needed to make sure the drainage and irrigation were properly addressed,” Pedersen wrote in a text message. “There was a slight delay because of the irrigation work, but we wanted to make sure the field stays in good condition for years to come.”
Planning for the project began last year, Pedersen said, followed by the required bidding process. There was a slight delay as the district worked through the irrigation portion of the project, but facilities staff and contractors completed the work in time for the start of the soccer season.
“We are incredibly proud of our teams and having a dedicated soccer field for these champions is important,” Pedersen wrote in a text message. “Having this field ready for our students and teams is something we are very proud of.”
The field will also serve as the home field for Lawrence High School’s varsity soccer teams. Sod was installed with enough time to allow the grass to develop roots before the first games.
The new bleachers, however, will not be ready for the beginning of the season. The concrete pad has been installed, and the district is encouraging fans to bring lawn chairs. Temporary seating also will be available.
While the new soccer field has been welcomed by the district and soccer supporters, residents and football supporters have questioned why the high school football team remains without a home field.
Mike DeRosa, a Lawrence High School alumnus and longtime supporter of the football team, said the situation has become particularly frustrating for players, families and fans.
DeRosa said the football team will have to play all eight of its games away this season after the district was unable to secure a local field to serve as its home venue.
The lack of a home field has raised questions about why the newly renovated middle school soccer field cannot also accommodate at least some football games.
DeRosa noted that the soccer teams could potentially play 10 to 12 games on the new field during the season, including postseason games, while the football team would have only four home games if it were permitted to use the facility.
“Why can’t this football team play a game there?” DeRosa asked. “Even have a homecoming game, to have something at home.”
