Brentsville District High School in Nokesville. Courtesy of PWCS
Brentsville District High School in Nokesville will open what Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) calls the nation’s first high school turfgrass research center on Thursday, Oct. 22.
The new facility will give students hands-on, professional-level experience in sports turf management, grounds maintenance, field preparation, and related careers, according to PWCS.
A Program That Grew From the Ground Up
Brentsville launched its turfgrass management program in 2017 with 63 students. It now has about 240 members, who help maintain roughly 30 acres of athletic fields and other grassed areas at the school, according to industry publication TurfNet.
In 2024, the school became the first high school in the nation designated a Toro Grounds Academy. As part of that partnership, Toro and its local distributor, Turf Equipment and Supply Co., helped the program move to an all-Toro equipment lineup and develop classroom sessions on topics like safety, maintenance, and career development, according to Sports Field Management. Toro also funded two $2,500 scholarships for graduating seniors pursuing turf management or engineering degrees.
“We want to teach students the basics of turfgrass science and get them prepared to earn a degree,” program director and founder Drew Miller told TurfNet.
What the New Center Adds
TurfNet reported that construction on the new building began in July 2025. According to TurfNet, plans for the roughly 6,000-square-foot facility included lab space, workshops, and multipurpose rooms for field days and events, along with an equipment manager’s shop with a lift, reel grinder, and welding station for training in golf course and sports field equipment management. Planned research elements included a putting green and trial plots, which Miller said would let students work with university professors and graduate students.
The design also called for solar panels and a water retention and filtration system, with a goal of LEED Platinum certification.
Miller has said some of the program’s graduates became head golf course superintendents within three years of finishing college, and others work in Major League Soccer, the NFL, and Major League Baseball, TurfNet reported.
Thursday’s Schedule
• 9–10:20 a.m.: College, Career, and Field Day
• 12:30–4 p.m.: Trade show with demonstrations and learning sessions led by sports field and grounds professionals
• 6 p.m.: Ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the Turfgrass Research Center
Representatives from the Carolina Panthers and Washington Nationals will give demonstrations in field preparation, field painting, infield maintenance, and other industry practices, PWCS said.
PWCS said media will be able to tour the facility, watch live technical demonstrations, and interview students, school administrators, Toro representatives, and industry professionals.
Brentsville District High School is at 12109 Aden Road in Nokesville.
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