Northgate High School students will return Thursday, August 6, to a campus under transformation: construction crews are building a new athletic field that Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark said students and athletes will "enjoy very soon."

The field project, announced in Clark's welcome-back message to families, arrives as Northgate rides momentum from a historic spring sports season. Three NCS titles in one day. Principal Kelly Cooper called Saturday, May 30, "the best day in Northgate sports history" in the district's Friday Letter published July 31. On that single day, the Broncos' baseball team won its first-ever NCS championship, shutting out Alameda 4-0, while softball beat Foothill 2-0 behind senior pitcher Ashley Herman's 15-strikeout no-hitter. The boys volleyball team, ranked second nationally, finished as CIF state runner-up after falling to top-ranked Mira Costa in Fresno.

No cost, funding source, or completion date for the new field has been disclosed.

Farm-to-school co-op and student programs

Beyond the field, Clark's letter outlined several district-wide expansions for 2026-27. Mount Diablo Unified is leading a 16-district purchasing co-op with the nonprofit Conscious Kitchen, connecting schools directly to local farms. The initiative aims to give districts greater buying power to drive down food costs. Civil Eats reported July 21 that Conscious Kitchen's broader goal is to bring organic food to 6 million California schoolchildren.

The district's summer internship program, which placed 117 high school students at 42 host sites earning two college credits through Diablo Valley College, wrapped up in July. As we reported July 29, the program has grown from a handful of participants over 11 years. Next summer's internships run June 7 through July 17, 2027.

Safety and support services

MDUSD is expanding its Sandy Hook Promise safety partnership to 4th and 5th grades this school year. The district's SOAR program (Support Office for Access and Resources) continues to provide school supplies, clothing, and referrals to families in need, including foster youth, students experiencing homelessness, and LGBTQIA+ students.

SOAR operates at the Willow Creek Center, 1026 Mohr Lane, Concord, from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on school days. Families seeking supplies or referrals can visit starting Thursday, August 6.