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Red Hook Central School District

A Welcoming and Diverse Community of Learners

Athletic Field Renovations

Athletic Field Renovations

Through a pair of propositions approved by residents in October 2024 and May 2025, the Red Hook Central School District will be renovating three athletic fields at Red Hook High School and Linden Avenue Middle School with new grass and track surfaces, underground drainage, fencing, lighting and other upgrades. The work on the first two of those three projects – the main athletic competition field and field generally used for soccer and lacrosse west of the school – is scheduled to begin in June and continue into spring 2027. Take a look at what is planned below.

A white sign with red and blue text stands on a grassy field near a running track.
A running track with red lanes curves around a grassy field and a small building.
A red running track curves around a grassy field under a cloudy sky.
A chain-link fence with a 'No Trespassing' sign in front of a grassy area.
An excavator works on a red running track outdoors.
A grassy field with a dirt track and a red barrel under a blue sky.
A wide shot of a grassy field with a line of white posts in the foreground and trees in the background under a blue sky.
Construction site with yellow excavators and heavy machinery on a cloudy day.
An excavator operates on a sandy construction site with trees in the background.
A pile of broken asphalt and debris sits on a dirt construction site.
A construction site with piles of dirt and heavy machinery under a cloudy sky.
A yellow excavator operates on a construction site under a clear blue sky.
A yellow excavator operates on a dirt construction site with trees in the background.
A yellow excavator works on a construction site with piles of dirt and gravel.
A wide shot of a large, open field with a building and trees in the background under a clear blue sky.
An outdoor amphitheater with tiered seating and a dirt arena under a clear blue sky.
A wide, dusty construction site with heavy machinery under a clear blue sky.
A long, dark shadow stretches across a dry, dusty landscape with a trench in the foreground.
A construction site with scaffolding and dirt mounds under a bright sky.
Construction site with stacks of concrete blocks and an excavator in the background.
A construction site with piles of dirt and heavy machinery under a blue sky.
A wide, open lot with gravel and dirt under a cloudy sky.
A white skid steer loader operates on a construction site with a person in a yellow vest nearby.
Construction site with piles of gravel and building materials under a cloudy sky.
An excavator is parked in front of a beige building with a large orange mural.
A concrete structure with red elements sits outdoors under a large tree.
A paved road runs alongside a low concrete wall with trees in the background.
Newly paved asphalt road with sandy shoulders and a line of trees in the background.
A wide shot of a rural landscape with a few small buildings and trees under a cloudy sky.
A wide, dry grassy field stretches towards a line of trees under a cloudy sky.
A rural landscape with a fence in the foreground and fields stretching to the horizon.
A white sign with red and blue text stands on a grassy field near a running track.
A running track with red lanes curves around a grassy field and a small building.
A red running track curves around a grassy field under a cloudy sky.
A chain-link fence with a 'No Trespassing' sign in front of a grassy area.
An excavator works on a red running track outdoors.
A grassy field with a dirt track and a red barrel under a blue sky.
A wide shot of a grassy field with a line of white posts in the foreground and trees in the background under a blue sky.
Construction site with yellow excavators and heavy machinery on a cloudy day.
An excavator operates on a sandy construction site with trees in the background.
A pile of broken asphalt and debris sits on a dirt construction site.
A construction site with piles of dirt and heavy machinery under a cloudy sky.
A yellow excavator operates on a construction site under a clear blue sky.
A yellow excavator operates on a dirt construction site with trees in the background.
A yellow excavator works on a construction site with piles of dirt and gravel.
A wide shot of a large, open field with a building and trees in the background under a clear blue sky.
An outdoor amphitheater with tiered seating and a dirt arena under a clear blue sky.
A wide, dusty construction site with heavy machinery under a clear blue sky.
A long, dark shadow stretches across a dry, dusty landscape with a trench in the foreground.
A construction site with scaffolding and dirt mounds under a bright sky.
Construction site with stacks of concrete blocks and an excavator in the background.
A construction site with piles of dirt and heavy machinery under a blue sky.
A wide, open lot with gravel and dirt under a cloudy sky.
A white skid steer loader operates on a construction site with a person in a yellow vest nearby.
Construction site with piles of gravel and building materials under a cloudy sky.
An excavator is parked in front of a beige building with a large orange mural.
A concrete structure with red elements sits outdoors under a large tree.
A paved road runs alongside a low concrete wall with trees in the background.
Newly paved asphalt road with sandy shoulders and a line of trees in the background.
A wide shot of a rural landscape with a few small buildings and trees under a cloudy sky.
A wide, dry grassy field stretches towards a line of trees under a cloudy sky.
A rural landscape with a fence in the foreground and fields stretching to the horizon.

What’s Happening on the Main Athletic Field?

Construction Began: Late May 2026

Planned work:
Spring/summer
► New grass playing surface 
► Underground drainage and irrigation
► LED field lighting
► Concrete work
Fall
► New fencing
► New track surface
► New signage and concrete work

A wide, green grassy field stretches under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
A wide, dry grassy field stretches towards a line of lush green trees under a clear blue sky.
A person is digging in a dry, grassy field under a clear blue sky.
A yellow bulldozer sits idle on a cleared dirt lot with trees in the background.
A dirt road leads towards an arched stone structure with greenery in the background.
A wide, cleared construction site with a black fence in the foreground and trees in the background.
Rows of empty seating face a field with targets, suggesting a sporting event or practice.
A wide, dry field stretches towards a line of green trees under a bright blue sky.
A wide, flat, sandy area with a fence in the foreground and trees in the background.
A wide, flat, sandy area with trees in the background under a cloudy sky.
A wide, dusty path leads through a cleared area towards a line of trees under a cloudy sky.
A construction site with piles of gravel and dirt under a cloudy sky.
A wide, green grassy field stretches under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.
A wide, dry grassy field stretches towards a line of lush green trees under a clear blue sky.
A person is digging in a dry, grassy field under a clear blue sky.
A yellow bulldozer sits idle on a cleared dirt lot with trees in the background.
A dirt road leads towards an arched stone structure with greenery in the background.
A wide, cleared construction site with a black fence in the foreground and trees in the background.
Rows of empty seating face a field with targets, suggesting a sporting event or practice.
A wide, dry field stretches towards a line of green trees under a bright blue sky.
A wide, flat, sandy area with a fence in the foreground and trees in the background.
A wide, flat, sandy area with trees in the background under a cloudy sky.
A wide, dusty path leads through a cleared area towards a line of trees under a cloudy sky.
A construction site with piles of gravel and dirt under a cloudy sky.

What’s Happening on the Soccer and Lacrosse Field?

Construction Began: Start of July

Planned work:
Summer
► New grass playing surface 
► Underground drainage and irrigation
Fall
► Concrete work and other finishes

LED Lighting

As part of proposition approved by residents in May 2025, the main athletic field at the high and middle schools will have permanent LED lighting installed for the first time. None of the other grass field projects will have lighting. Learn more about that aspect of the project here.

  • There will be five poles, each with a bank of lights. Four of the banks are devoted to lighting the main track and field area and a fifth is dedicated to the field pits. The fifth bank of lights would only be on when it is needed.

    The poles will be between 70 and 80 feet, which is a typical height for football field lighting.

    “Pole height is important for that light control,” Ena Baker of Musco Sports Lighting explained. “We have to get that angle to actually make sure we're able to control that light and making sure that it's on those intended surfaces.”

  • The light fixtures that will be installed by Musco Sports Lighting are DarkSky compliant. That means it meet international standards as a lighting product that gives the same high priority to environmental protection and nuisance avoidance as it does to lighting for its intended function.

    To be DarkSky approved, it must satisfy the five principles for responsible outdoor lighting:

    • All light should have a clear purpose.
    • Light should be directed only to where it is needed.
    • Light should be no brighter than necessary.
    • Light should be used only when it is useful.
    • Warmer-color lights should be used where possible.

     

    The lights that will be used have a special fixture that completely covers the diode, going beyond the visor used on most conventional field lighting. That minimizes spill and, combined with the pole height, eliminates glare.

  • The district anticipates the lighting may only be used for 10 sporting events each year.

    This is because:

    • As a grass field, the district intends to be extremely protective of how many events utilize the space in order to maintain it as a high-quality playing surface and prevent the overuse that has occurred in the past.
    • It will predominantly be used for varsity football games – of which there are only 4-5 home games on the schedule each season – boys lacrosse – which is not a sport that can be easily played under lighting – and track and field – which is not typically competed at night.

     

    The district has made a promise to the community that the track will be open for walking and running. However, athletic competitions require roughly 10 times as much lighting as it will take to light the track for recreational walking, and the district has full control to dim the lights to the minimum needed.

  • The lighting component of the main field renovation project is expected to be installed in September 2026 and last roughly a week.

  • For any further questions regarding the lighting that will be installed on the main athletic field, call or email Dr. Janet Warden, Superintendent of Schools, at 845-758-2241, ext. 55100, or Dr. Erin Hayes, Assistant Superintendent for Personnel and Operations, at 845-758-2241, ext. 55300.

"It is our mission to make sure that we are protecting the night skies, neighbors and just making sure that we're getting that light onto what the intended surface is and not in the surrounding areas."

Project FAQs

  • Years of overuse left most of the athletic fields used by the high and middle schools hardened, uneven and prone to flooding, making them less than safe for student use and inaccessible to a portion of our school community’s population. Out of caution, the district decided to close the main competition field in spring 2025 pending renovation. 

  • No. The October 2024 proposition under which the soccer and lacrosse field is being renovated also included the renovation of another field at the schools, to be determined by the district. The work on that third field is still to come.

  • Our fields are used by our athletics teams and physical education classes throughout the fall and spring, and grass fields cannot be rehabilitated simply in the span of the summer months. Consequently, we need space to serve those students needs and taking three fields out of use at the same time would not give us enough available space. The timeline for renovating the third field is to be determined.

  • The district initially proposed a synthetic turf reconstruction of the main competition field three times between 2022 and 2024, each time adjusting the proposal in response to feedback from residents. Each time, though, the propositions did not gain enough support to be approved. Listening to its residents, the district proposed a grass renovation in May 2025, which was approved by voters.

  • As has been the case in recent years, the main field will be used almost exclusively for varsity football and boys lacrosse competitions, as well as the track and field teams. The dimensions of the grass field within the track oval make it impossible to be used by the soccer teams and, in order to maintain it as a high-quality playing surface, the district intends to be protective of how often it is used.

  • The main competition field is the only one that will have LED lighting installed.

  • The district anticipates the full lighting to be used for around 10 athletic competitions each year. The track will be lit for recreational use by community members more often in evenings. The lighting needed for safe community use of the track is about a 10th of that needed for a high school football game, and the district has the ability to limit the light output to that level.