Holland Christian gets athletics upgrades and a new building for Forestry School

HOLLAND – Holland Christian students will have several new facilities to use when school resumes this fall.

The school has several construction projects underway this summer, all of which are on track to be completed by the start of the 2022-23 school year.

Several of the projects are for updated or new sports facilities. The high school stadium’s grass pitch is replaced and expanded, with the old track being removed. The expanded field for football, soccer and lacrosse will provide more sideline space for these athletes.

Player safety and upgrading to more modern facilities were the driving forces behind the launch of the project.

“There were scuffs and cracks in various places, creating problem areas that reduced performance and risked compromising safety,” principal of schools Eric Forseth said of the old track. “Additionally, the facility had an outdated six-lane track, which limits our capacity to host official events compared to the tracks at most schools that have eight lanes.”

A new track, as well as space for field events, is being built behind Holland Christian Middle School which will also have a grass field inside the track. The new track will have eight lanes.

The athletics facilities are part of Holland Christian’s ‘Go to the Goal’ campaign. The fundraising effort, which had a total goal of $3.95 million, was split into two phases, the first of which began this summer.

Phase I includes efforts to construct the new track facility and lay new turf at the main stadium. The second phase is planned to construct a team building to include public restrooms, team rooms, concessions and equipment storage.

Holland Christian is also constructing a fourth building for its forestry school, located between the middle school and high school buildings. The additional building will provide space for two kindergarten classes and two first grade classes at Forest School.

“With a growing program, we needed more space to accommodate two new sections each year,” said Leanne Halma, director of advancement. “It was exciting to see the growth around this program!”

The cost of the project is around $500,000 and should be ready by the first day of school. The project is also supported by donations.

“All of our current capital improvements are fully funded through the generosity of this wonderful community who believe in the Dutch Christian mission of equipping minds and nourishing hearts to transform the world for Jesus Christ,” Halma said. “We have been incredibly blessed with donations of all sizes in support of these exciting projects.”

Construction also began this week at Rose Park Ranch, Halma said. A barn for the ranch will be completed “in late summer or early fall” with a learning greenhouse later in the school year.

— Contact journalist Mitchell Boatman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.