As spring arrives each year, school fields may initially look dry and inviting yet could remain closed to play. In order to prepare for sports seasons and taking into consideration the safety of the students and community in properly preparing the fields for sport and competition, if there is still frost in the playing fields and the turf has not yet started to grow for the season, any early play on the fields will slow the early grass growth and could potentially close the field for the rest of the year while the field surface recovers.
Plant Services, in coordination with the Board’s Permit Department, York Region Athletic Association (YRAA) and secondary school Physical Education Department Heads, has an established procedure to determine when playing fields are to be officially opened and closed each year.
The cooperation of staff, students and community members in the matter of recognizing when fields are closed is appreciated so that our fields (and outdoor classrooms) remain in playable shape for our students and the community groups who permit their use.