Fairfield breaks ground on $7 million athletics and band facilities project

GOSHEN, Ind. — Fairfield High School took a major step forward Thursday as school leaders, students, coaches and band members gathered for a ceremony marking the start of a multimillion-dollar campus improvement project.

The project will bring several new facilities to the school’s athletic complex, including a new access road, a marching band parking lot, a band tower and storage building, and completely new track and field facilities. New home and visitor ticket booths, along with additional outdoor athletic upgrades, are also part of the plan.

Fairfield athletic director Chris Griffin said the project reflects the school’s long-term vision for its students and community.

“I was looking for a place that had a great vision for the future for their entire community for all of their students and student athletes and Fairfield has proven that is the goal,” Griffin said.

Construction is already underway, with work beginning on the new access road.

Superintendent Dr. Carrie Cannon said the upgrades will better match the pride students and families already have in the school.

“Always taking a lot of pride but also sometimes their facilities are not aligned to that so now we can sit in facilities and be like man this is where our kids get to practice this is where they get to perform and they deserve the best type of facilities we can provide them,” Cannon said.

School officials said the goal is to have the new track and football field ready by mid-August, in time for the Falcons’ first home game of the season against John Glenn in week two on Aug. 28. The band practice area is expected to be completed later in the fall.

The entire project is expected to cost about $7 million and will be funded through school bonds.

Fairfield football coach Corey Stoner said the investment goes beyond athletics.

“It puts Fairfield is a great position that shows we are here for raising the bar to the next level,” Stoner said. “Not just with our facilities but with everything we do from our football team to our band to the classroom. Everything is about raising the bar for our kids.”

For Fairfield, the project represents more than new buildings and upgraded spaces. School leaders say it is an investment in the next generation of Falcons — in the classroom, on the field and in the band program.