Clayton High School has received a $250,000 grant from the National Football League Foundation to help improve the school’s athletic fields.

Last year, the high school, Johnston County Public Schools and the Town of Clayton formed a partnership to improve Clayton High’s fields and courts while expanding access to those for the Clayton community.

The partners then applied for and won a $250,000 NFL Foundation Local Initiatives Support Corp. grant that will supplement the capital-improvement project at the center of the partnership.

“Clayton High School is a cornerstone in the town and a common place of activity throughout the week and year with both school and community events,” said Principal Bennett Jones. “We are thrilled to be able to provide high-quality facilities and playing surfaces to not only our students and teams, but to our community members as well, and this generous grant from the (Carolina) Panthers and NFL-LISC allows us to continue those efforts.”

The project includes artificial turf fields in the football and soccer stadiums. Additional dollars will repair and expand the home-side football bleachers and replace the existing football press box.

“Youth and high school football is an integral part of community life in the Carolinas, and we are excited to support Clayton High School’s new synthetic field project, which will serve the Comets’ athletic programs, school activities and the broader Clayton community for years to come,” said Riley Fields, director of community relations for the Carolina Panthers.

Clayton High is the 12th school in the Carolinas to receive a grant from this program.

“We are grateful to the Carolina Panthers and their community outreach team led by Riley Fields for their assistance in the process and to the NFL-LISC for their support in our capital improvement project,” Jones said.

The principal also thanked Superintendent Eric Bracy, the Johnston County Board of Education, Clayton Mayor Jody McLeod, the Clayton Town Council, Clayton Parks and Recreation Director Scott Barnard, the Johnston County Board of Commissioners, and Johnston County Parks and Recreation Director Adrian O’Neal

Clayton High expects to wrap up the work this fall.

“Johnston County Public Schools is extremely thankful for our partnerships with our local communities, like the Town of Clayton, so that we may make projects like this happen,” Bracy said. “Thank you to the NFL Foundation for this grant opportunity so that we may work to provide an excellent facility for students and families in Clayton.”