Do you know what's at risk for Lafayette High School students?

  • by: Bambi Walters
  • recipient: WJCC School Board, James City County Board of Supervisors, Williamsburg City Council

This petition is to the James City County Board of Supervisors (BOS), requesting that the urgently needed Lafayette High School auxiliary gym receive funding, at the latest, in the Fiscal Year 17 (FY 17) budget.

We need you in the final stretch! Our community’s strong outreach to the WJCC School Board and administration, and then the JCC Planning Commission, were successful. The three key Lafayette facility needs were included the Schools’ proposed multi-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), with the auxiliary gym in Fiscal Year 17. Most recently, the County’s Planning Commission elevated the ranking of the aux gym need to #5 (the top school need) from #14 (second to last).

Unfortunately, the first draft of the James City County budget does not currently include funding for the gym, even though James Blair- the offsite gym space on which LHS depends - will be demolished soon.

Nearly half of LHS’s sports teams must travel off campus for games and practices. This creates unnecessary risks to our student athletes, additional time away from their studies (due to travel and late practice times), a logistical burden on parents and coaches, an inconsistent environment for activities to take place, time constraints to access the athletic training staff after school, additional transportation/fuel costs paid by taxpayer dollars, and an extraordinary responsibility to the school system.

The LHS Athletic Boosters continue to seek collaboration with our local leaders to address 3 key long-standing projects for Lafayette High School that are necessary for equity within our district. All of the following have been included in past plans but never implemented:

  1. An auxiliary gym. This is a long-standing need for a 4A school with over 1200 students with 22 school athletic and theater programs. With the nearing demolition of James Blair, there is now an urgent need to get started on building an auxiliary gym to support the students and various programs.
  2. A walkway from LHS to the County’s Warhill Sports Complex fields. LHS has numerous teams that traverse a ravine and creeks, while transporting their gear, to get to the Warhill Sports Complex fields for practice.
  3. Lighting on LHS practice fields on campus. LHS is the only high school in the WJCC Public Schools that doesn’t have any lights for practice fields. Lights were included in the original plans for LHS practice fields, as well as a recent CIP, but never implemented. Approximately 10 teams, and our Ram Band, are impacted.

We urge our local leaders to be part of the solution- to remedy the inequities and alleviate safety concerns for LHS students, coaches and parents.

Please feel free to leave a personal message if you want the BOS to receive your individual comments.

Thank you,
LHS Athletic Boosters

This petition is to the James City County Board of Supervisors (BOS), requesting that the urgently needed Lafayette High School auxiliary gym receive funding, at the latest, in the Fiscal Year 17 (FY 17) budget.


We need you in the final stretch! Our community’s strong outreach to the WJCC School Board and administration, and then the JCC Planning Commission, were successful. The three key Lafayette facility needs were included the Schools’ proposed multi-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), with the auxiliary gym in Fiscal Year 17. Most recently, the County’s Planning Commission elevated the ranking of the aux gym need to #5 (the top school need) from #14 (second to last).


Unfortunately, the first draft of the James City County budget does not currently include funding for the gym, even though James Blair- the offsite gym space on which LHS depends - will be demolished soon.


Nearly half of LHS’s sports teams must travel off campus for games and practices. This creates unnecessary risks to our student athletes, additional time away from their studies (due to travel and late practice times), a logistical burden on parents and coaches, an inconsistent environment for activities to take place, time constraints to access the athletic training staff after school, additional transportation/fuel costs paid by taxpayer dollars, and an extraordinary responsibility to the school system.


The LHS Athletic Boosters continue to seek collaboration with our local leaders to address 3 key long-standing projects for Lafayette High School that are necessary for equity within our district. All of the following have been included in past plans but never implemented:



  1. An auxiliary gym. This is a long-standing need for a 4A school with over 1200 students with 22 school athletic and theater programs. With the nearing demolition of James Blair, there is now an urgent need to get started on building an auxiliary gym to support the students and various programs.

  2. A walkway from LHS to the County’s Warhill Sports Complex fields. LHS has numerous teams that traverse a ravine and creeks, while transporting their gear, to get to the Warhill Sports Complex fields for practice.

  3. Lighting on LHS practice fields on campus. LHS is the only high school in the WJCC Public Schools that doesn’t have any lights for practice fields. Lights were included in the original plans for LHS practice fields, as well as a recent CIP, but never implemented. Approximately 10 teams, and our Ram Band, are impacted.


We urge our local leaders to be part of the solution- to remedy the inequities and alleviate safety concerns for LHS students, coaches and parents.


Please feel free to leave a personal message if you want the BOS to receive your individual comments.


Thank you,
LHS Athletic Boosters

Update #57 years ago
LHS Athletic Boosters Committee requests that you please attend a meeting this MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016, at the Windsor Forest Club House at 6PM to discuss recommendations for the walkway and/or transportation from LHS to WSC fields and other issues. We need your input before November 1, 2016 (the night of next WJCC School Board meeting).
Update #47 years ago
Lafayette High School still needs you! The WJCC School Board CIP Committee has recommended pushing the walkway and field lights to 2023–that’s 7 years away. We need you to 1) forward this Petition for more signatures and 2) attend the October 4, 2016 meeting at 6:30PM at 101 Mounts Bay Road, Building F. This is your time to urge funding.

If you can't attend, please login to the Petition and update your comments by noon on Oct 3. Thank you!
Update #37 years ago
Dear Ram Family,

This is a reminder to help us fill the room tomorrow Tuesday, April 26 at 6:30 pm at the BOS Public Hearing at the James City County Government Center, 101 Mounts Bay Road, Building F. It is very, very important that you attend this meeting to represent the Lafayette Ram family!

Thanks for your support,
LHS Athletic Boosters
Update #27 years ago
Lafayette High School still needs you! Unfortunately, the draft of the James City County budget does NOT currently include funding for the gym, even though James Blair-the offsite gym space on which LHS depends-will be demolished very soon.

We need you to forward this Petition for more signatures and to attend the April 26, 2016 meeting at 6:30PM at 101 Mounts Bay Road, Building F. This is your time to urge funding.

If you can't attend, please login to the Petition and update your comments.
Update #18 years ago
Thank you for signing the Petition to the WJCC School Board. LHS still needs support at tonight's meeting to get these items in the 2016 Budget. Yesterday, LHS Booster Club members met with Dr. Constantino who suggested these might be included in a 10 year plan, but he didn't say what year.

If you can, please attend the CIP meeting tonight - 6:30PM at the James City County Complex, 101-F Mounts Bay Road (Boardroom F), Williamsburg, VA.

Thank you,
LHS Athletic Boosters
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