CVUSD Field Rebuild: New stadium field refurbishing plans are occurring in the winter sport season
As the 2025-26 school year is underway, Conejo Valley Unified School District [CVUSD] has confirmed that the Westlake and Thousand Oaks High School stadium fields will be going under renovation starting Dec. 1, 2025, while Newbury Park High School will start on Dec. 15, 2025. Regardless, all three schools are expected to reopen the stadiums on Feb. 28, 2026 according to a CVUSD announcement. With this renovation, high school soccer players will have to find other fields to practice and play their games on.
Parents and students have shared their concerns about the renovation, with many speaking in the public comments portion of the CVUSD school board meeting held on Sept. 3. Pedro Costa, NPHS senior and varsity soccer player, spoke about his worries about missing out on special opportunities, like senior night. For Costa, the stadium is a crucial part of the soccer season. “Playing under the lights with your friends is so much fun, and not having a stadium feels like a huge chunk missing,” Costa said. Along with many others, Costa believes the renovation should have been figured out at a time that does not affect the students. “A better time would have probably been late spring, into summer, after graduation ends,” Costa said.
Chris Neier, an NPHS parent and Malibu High School athletic director, also voiced his opinions on the matter at the school board meeting. He not only believes that the timing of the renovation is unfair for the soccer athletes, but also that it could cause an equity problem in schools. “Let’s say a [high] school gets Cal Lutheran [University for practices], will every school get an equivalent? Will some be sent to second-rate sites, while others get first-rate class facilities?” Neier said. Neier brought up the struggles parents will go through with these changes. “Having to change the stadium would mean a lot more from the parents, more money to spend and more time for students to get to practice,” Neier said.
It is understood that because of the renovations, senior athletes will miss out on several high school memories and events such as senior night. However, it is also important to take into consideration how the other grades will struggle due to this renovation. Those who cannot drive will take time out of their parents’ schedules, as well as their own schedules, to make it to practice. “It’s convenient for students who do not have cars to walk over to the stadium and have practice [there],” Costa said. Having to drive further to practice every week will make it difficult for players not just as athletes, but also as students.
Most athletes that have played on the field in the past are being affected by the process of updating the stadium field. Megan McNulty, sophomore at NPHS, who played on the frosh-soph girls’ soccer team last year, raised concerns about where the team will practice without their own home field. “It is not as much of a school sport if you don’t play at your school,” McNulty said. While there can be alternative options, McNulty touches on how games can attract a community and how they are able to keep everyone close. “It brings everyone together on one field. Without one, we lose that place where everyone can play,” McNulty said.
Ethan Gray, Assistant Principal of Athletics at NPHS, was a voting member on the matter. “The decision to renovate the turf and track […] [was] part of a district-wide facilities improvement plan funded by Measure I,” Gray said. “The Board finalized the reallocation of funds during their Sept. 3, 2025, meeting.” Even though the upgrades being done to all stadium fields in the CVUSD could impact different sports’ seasons, there are reasons why these times have been chosen. Generally, the most prevalent reason for the timing of the renovation seems to be cost efficiency. “Starting the project at that time allows the district to take advantage of available funds and construction timelines, minimizing disruption across all three schools undergoing the improvements,” Gray said.
Overall, several concerns have been raised about time management, athletes’ performance and students’ games and practices. However, it is clear the reasoning for the decisions made by members of the CVUSD for the renovation. But there are still many community members who are sharing their concerns regarding the unfairness of the situation. “Quite frankly, I do not know why this is going on during the soccer [season],” Costa said. “It just feels like we are getting the short end of the stick.”
