Phoenixville School District Now Charging Residents A Fee To Use High School Track

PHOENIXVILLE, PA — Phoenixville residents must now pay a fee in order to use the public high school track, the Phoenixville Area School District announced this week.

The district's new "track access pass " program requires a payment of $10.

The district's original announcement did not state why the program was put in place. A spokesperson for the district told Patch that it is due to a "continued series of security and vandalism concerns." The district said Washington Field had been damaged, and that there had been confrontation between competing groups wishing to use the field. The plan was reached following "considerable research on neighboring district practices and examining pros and cons of established procedures."

The spokesperson said the decision was finalized in Feb. 2026 during a school board meeting and that there had been time for public comment.

The track will only be open for very narrow window of time each day. In the summer, it's only open from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. School year hours vary daily: 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, then 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday and Sunday.

The district said the limited hours are in place to get ahead of the need to cancel public access due to practices or facility rentals.

Only residents within the district's borders, including the borough, East Pikeland, and Schuylkill Township, are able to buy the pass. Visitors, including friends and family or neighbors from nearby communities, are barred from using the track.

The district says that all users must enter through a "card access gate" on Gay Street.

The pass is good for one year, and must be renewed annually.

Users are also forbidden from using the football field, adjacent practice field, or softball fields with their pass.

While neighboring Spring-Ford also now charges residents to use the track, no other school districts in the Pioneer Athletic Conference require payment to use the high school track.