By Sara Beth Williams–
San Juan High School marked the completion of its newly modernized football stadium with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning.
Dozens of community members, elected officials, San Juan Unified School District Board Members, members of the McArthur family. alumni, and current students were in attendance at the ribbon cutting for the revamped state-of-the-art stadium known as McArthur Field.
“This moment belongs to all of you,” San Juan Unified Board President Tanya Kravchuk told the crowd following opening remarks.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been less than a year since we’ve broken ground,” said San Juan High School principal David Levis, adding that the project represents a significant investment into the school. Levis took time to thank the school district administration, the construction and design companies, and the San Juan High School Alumni Association.
McArthur Field was named after the late San Juan High School alumnus and WWII veteran Edwin H. McArthur, who served as a coach, dean of students, and principal at the school in the first half of the 20th century. Three of his children were in attendance for the dedication of the revamped field.
Levis called the new modernized facilities a “game changer” adding that the stadium represents more than just a place for sports.
“It’s where students will learn teamwork, discipline, build confidence and memories, and where community will come together, from the roar of Friday night lights, to the immense pride as our graduates walk across the stage on this very field,” Levis said.
The total budget for the project is $21 million the district reports, with, $17 million going toward construction. The project is on budget and was approved by the board in March 2025 prior to the groundbreaking in May 2025. The last major upgrades to the stadium were made in 2008, the district said previously.
Upgrades to the facilities include a new all-weather synthetic track and turf field, new concessions and ticket booths, new restrooms, new tennis courts, and updated ADA-compliant ramps. The stadium’s bleachers, built of cement, remains unchanged.
The stadium remodel project is funded by the San Juan Unified School District’s bond program, specifically the Measure P bond measure, passed by voters in 2016. This bond allows the district to fund various facility modernization, including the stadium’s upgrades.
San Juan High School was founded in 1913 when the San Juan Union High School District was organized, and its first classes were held in the same year in a temporary building in Fair Oaks. The first permanent building was constructed in 1915 at the current Greenback Lane location in Citrus Heights on land donated by Walter Trainor.
