We, the concerned students, parents, community members, and alums of Montclair, NJ urge the Superintendent and Board of Education to ensure the safety and well-being of our students by prioritizing the renovation of Hillside’s field and Woodman’s baseball field, projects that were included in the 2022 bond referendum that passed with 84% of the town's vote. We also call on other elected officials and candidates for public office in Montclair to express their support for these two projects.

The Hillside field and Woodman baseball field currently pose significant risks to our young athletes, a situation that must be rectified before yet another player experiences serious physical harm. Renovating the fields will provide a safer and enhanced experience for hundreds of baseball, track, football, soccer, and lacrosse players every year.

Here are some key facts supporting this petition:

1. Harmful conditions at Hillside: In mid-September of this year, two high school soccer players suffered serious injuries playing on the Hillside field, one from Montclair High School and one from a visiting school. The field is a safety hazard in its current state. We ask that the Hillside field be renovated as soon as possible so that hundreds of athletes and other students can use the field without fear of injury. 

2. Dangerous Woodman surfaces: Baseball outfielders at Woodman have to run across multiple surfaces in a matter of seconds: turf, a slippery track, metal grates on the edges of the track, and uneven dirt and grass. This has led to multiple accidents and injuries over the years and ultimately may lead to catastrophic injury that can be avoided by re-orienting a turf field to avoid the track. 

3. Falling tree branches at Woodman: Trees in the playing field, in the spectators’ areas, and in the street have lost numerous large branches over the years. Those falling branches could have caused serious injury or death had they landed on students or bystanders, which is a risk we can no longer afford to take. 

4. Overlapping Woodman fields: The athletic track and football/lacrosse field run through center field and right field of the baseball field. This is dangerous for Montclair and visiting baseball players who run, dive, and slide on the slippery track and are forced to navigate bystanders who walk on the track during games. It also poses safety risks to hundreds of track, football, and lacrosse athletes who have to avoid baseballs that fly into their fields. 

5. Field Reorientation required: To avoid the dangerous overlap with the athletic track, the Woodman baseball field must be reoriented. The project’s architects have determined that the baseball field cannot be reoriented at Woodman without removing trees. We believe that ensuring student safety and well-being outweighs other concerns and must be the highest priority of the Montclair Superintendent and Board of Education. We ask that the Woodman project move forward immediately and with urgency, and we recommend that new trees be planted.  

6. Opportunity to beautify Woodman: The baseball area at Woodman currently houses equipment, piles of dirt, and dead trees. The baseball field project presents an opportunity to remove unsightly equipment, beautify the space, and plant new trees. 

7. Impact on community engagement: Renovated Hillside and Woodman fields will not only benefit hundreds of student athletes every spring, summer, and fall, but also will provide a safe space for recreational school and community activities.

8. Strong community support: These projects were included in the 2022 bond referendum that passed with 84% of the town's vote.

We believe that proceeding with the Hillside field and Woodman baseball field renovations is essential for student and spectator safety; will help avoid catastrophic injury; mitigates risk of lawsuits; and will positively impact student well-being, athletic programming, and community. We ask the Superintendent and Board of Education to proceed with urgency. 

To support this petition, we kindly request that you sign below. Together, let's ensure the health and safety of our students and our town. 

Thank you for your support!