South Marion High School is starting the 2026 school year under far from ideal circumstances.
The high school, which is set to open this year in Ocala, Fla., found that their campus featured seven subsurface
voids, with six of them under the team's football field. If neglected, the voids could become sinkholes.
The voids will be filled with grout, a project that will cost up to $672,000. Deputy Superintendent Ben Whitehouse said the project will be paid for with capital funds.
"We do a little bit of soil sampling where we’re doing athletic fields and practice fields etcetera, but it’s not as intensive as what we’d do where we’re actually putting a structure," Whitehouse told My News 13 Orlando. "So, we did due diligence. Obviously, we didn’t identify it in time."
The misstep will affect the vast majority of South Marion's football season, as the repairs are set to be finished by October 29. That's the final week of the FHSAA regular season. Their home football games will be played at neighboring schools in the interim.
The team's practice field is safe to use, which won't affect practices on the campus.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow @usatodayhss on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida high school forced to rip up brand new turf field weeks before football season
