Bay District Schools celebrated a milestone Thursday evening with the ribbon cutting of the new AstroTurf playing surface at Vera Shamplain Field at Rutherford High School, the first turf field installed in BDS public school history.
Community members, school leaders, and Rutherford supporters gathered for the ceremony to mark the completion of the project, which was approved by the School Board in August 2025. Installation of the field took seven weeks from start to finish and was completed by AstroTurf, one of the original innovators of synthetic turf technology. The project cost just under $1 million and was funded through local capital improvement tax dollars.
The sports complex is named in honor of the late Vera Shamplain, a longtime Rutherford High School teacher and coach who was widely respected throughout Bay County for her dedication to students and service to the community. Shamplain was deeply involved in civic leadership, serving as president of the Bay County Chapter of the United Negro College Fund, vice president of the local NAACP, and president of the Bay County Chapter of the National Association of Floridian Clubs Inc.
Adding to the significance of the evening, Shamplain’s daughter, Ms. Toni, was present to help cut the ribbon, celebrating her mother’s lasting impact on Rutherford and the Bay County community.
Shortly after the ceremony concluded, the field was put to immediate use as Rutherford’s girls flag football team became the first athletes, along with Mosley High School, to compete on the new surface, marking the beginning of a new era for the school’s athletic programs.
Bay District Schools plans to continue expanding turf installations across the district. Deane Bozeman Stadium is scheduled to be the next field to receive AstroTurf, followed by Mosley High School
The new field at Vera Shamplain Field honors a remarkable legacy while providing Rutherford student-athletes with a modern facility designed to serve the school and community for years to come.