Planning for the construction of a lighted stadium at Rio Americano has been ongoing for years. Every semester we seem to get a new timeline, and every year it seems to be pushed back.
When the San Juan Unified School District’s Measure P was passed by voters in November, we had renewed hope that construction would finally begin. But the district now says that the bond, which will raise $950 million for facilities projects, won’t be accessed for at least several more years.
Why wait when the biggest high school in the district needs a stadium now?
At a recent board meeting, the district revealed that $150 million still remains available from the previous bond measure passed in 2016. We have a good idea for spending some of that.
Admittedly, there are concerns about building a stadium with abundant seating and lights for night games and practices. For one thing, the district is prioritizing projects like plumbing and electric repairs.
But the two bond measures combined should provide the funding to pursue both maintenance and larger projects. In recent years the district has used bond money for significant upgrades to stadiums at other schools, and in 2023 it opened a new stadium at Mesa Verde, which has fewer than half the students as Rio. In May the district will begin work on a stadium at San Juan High School, a school with fewer total students than Rio has athletes competing in spring sports.
Make no mistake: every school should have a stadium where athletes can compete and the community can come together. We congratulate Mesa Verde and San Juan on their new facilities. But what about Rio?
“Neighborhood concerns” have also long plagued the stadium proposal as the district attempts to address residents’ concerns about the noise and disruptions from home football games. The district should take reasonable steps to address those concerns (even though these neighbors knowingly bought houses beside a high school).
But we shouldn’t let objections from a few neighbors stand in the way of a stadium that will serve thousands of students.
Last August our rival on American River Drive, Jesuit High School, played its first game under newly installed lights. This should put to bed concerns that protecting the neighborhood’s peace is a compelling reason not to build at Rio.
Rio deserves a quality stadium for its well-attended football games and other sporting events. At heart, Rio Americano is a sports school, with more than 1,000 athletes. We have a strong sports program that, year after year, wins more league and section titles than any other school in the district.
These teams give the Rio community a sense of identity. Rio is now a regional high school sports powerhouse, not the temporary campus built 60 years ago. Our facilities should reflect that, and our district should prioritize the stadium project.
More coverage of this issue can be found on our website.
