Lincoln High School is the only high school in the district without an athletic field. When Seattle tax-payers approved the 2022 Capital Levy, it included funding for a dedicated practice field & a running track for Lincoln students. Because there’s no space on campus, the district has been searching for an off-site location, within walking distance, to make this long-promised field a reality.

Seattle Public Schools’ original proposal to build a half-size field at Wallingford Playfield was halted following strong community opposition and a resulting lawsuit. SPS and Seattle Parks & Recreation have since shifted their focus to Woodland Park, where a full-size practice field—“Option A”—has emerged as the leading proposal.

At the February 26, 2026 Parks & Recreation Board meeting, community members spoke passionately about the importance of this field. However, it became clear that many board members were unfamiliar with the project. Interim Superintendent Michele Finnegan noted that she has not yet heard sufficient community support for Plan A and has called for an additional community engagement meeting, expected to take place in late April (date to be announced).

The project falls between Seattle Parks & Recreation and Seattle Public Schools —the first owns the land, the other runs the project. Four years after funding was approved, there’s still no clear plan or timeline. With new leadership on both sides, progress has stalled and accountability is unclear. Instead of action, Lincoln students are left waiting—while the adults keep KICKING THE CAN ON KIDS!

We are demanding SPS & SPR move forward with permits and planning. The 2022 Levy designated $5M for Lincoln Field but every year costs go up and soon $5M won’t be enough to build a field!

Community engagement is a key part of how Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Parks & Recreation make decisions on projects like Lincoln’s field. SPS uses input from students, families, and the broader community to help shape priorities and refine plans, while Parks requires public involvement in the planning and design of capital projects to ensure they reflect neighborhood needs, shared use, and responsible allocation of resources.

THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM US!

We have new leadership at both Seattle Public Schools and Seattle Parks and Recreation.

Our new SPS Superintendent, Ben Schuldiner, and SPR’s interim Superintendent, Michele Finnegan, need to stop pointing fingers at each other for delays and they need to keep this project moving. They owe it to tax payers and to Lincoln students!

It’s time to STOP KICKING THE CAN ON KIDS, approve the plans, and get building!

Check out these links for more details:

SPS Webpage - Lincoln Track and Field (Including details on Revised Option A)

SPR Project Brief [Jan 14, 2025]

Seattle Parks & Recreation [Recording Board Mtgs discussion Jan & Feb 2026]

April 25th is the next Community Engagement Meeting. 10-11:30am at Hamilton Middle School. We were told we need to MAKE SOME NOISE and SHOW UP LOUD in support for getting a field built!

“Kick the Can” was a pick-up game during the Great Depression in the 1930s. The game was a popular pastime because it did not require a playing field, nor any designated equipment other than a discarded can or other kickable object. To “Kick the Can” is an idiom that means to delay or avoid a problem in hopes the problem will become someone else’s responsibility.

SPS and SPR are both pointing fingers at each other for these delays. We need them to STOP KICKING THE CAN ON KIDS and BUILD LINCOLN FIELD!

Noooooo! We hired an illustrator to create our “STOP KICKING THE CAN ON KIDS” Lynx!