An outdoor field that's been awaiting repair at a school district in Rhode Island for two years still isn't playable, the district said this week.
Scituate School Department officials said in a statement to the community that Caito Field, which has been closed since sinkholes were discovered in 2020, is still not deemed safe, the Valley Breeze & Observer reported Thursday.
“The Scituate School Department would like the community to know that it is our first priority that our community receives the field that it was promised and paid for by the taxpayers,” the district statement said.
“To achieve this goal, we have hired experts in athletic field construction and litigation. At this time, neither the contractors that designed nor installed Caito Field will certify that it is safe for our students. Until we are satisfied that the field is safe, we will be forced to keep the field closed. We will work with the town and surrounding communities to support our athletes and athletic programs. Our goal is to solve the problems that have forced us to close the field as quickly as possible. We welcome the day we can, as a community, enjoy the safe beautiful athletic field as promised.”
New turf and a new track were installed at Caito Field in 2019, the Breeze reported.
After receiving some use in 2020, the sinkhole closure of the field forced Scituate boys’ and girls’ soccer teams and lacrosse teams to Manning Field, with natural grass, mud and divots.
Scituate High School athletic director Sal Gelsomino told the newspaper that not having a home field has been difficult for the programs. The district looked at moving soccer games to Tasca Field, but recreation soccer has first priority on it.
While soccer and lacrosse can go back to Manning Field, even though throughout the last two years, injuries have been stacking up from playing on that surface, the football team is the most impacted by not being able to use Caito.
Dupuis said that not being able to use Caito Field affects the whole school. They can’t even use it for gym classes, he said.
