Parents, students and faculty may have done a double take while driving to Washington High School sometime last week. The for-sale sign on a neighboring property — one that’s been there since Jon Blank started working there in 2002 — is gone.

Blank, the school’s head football coach and athletic director, announced last week that the school has acquired the adjacent property. It’s the land to the left of the school when looking at it from the street. Currently, it’s a wooded area that parallels the school’s bus parking lot.

“This thing has been in the works for two and a half years. Maybe even longer than that,” Blank said. “We got pretty active with it right after the field house project was completed. … With all the obstacles and things we’ve faced along the way, to finally own the property with Beaufort County Schools feels great.”

Vidant Internal Medicine physician Dr. Lis Cook added: “We saw the need for improvement in the fields and for a new facility for soccer. … The commissioners were kind enough to approve our funding request in the last budget cycle. We have started fundraising and spoken to contractors.”

This isn’t the first big project taken on by the school’s athletics department. It debuted a new field house this past year. Within it is a pair of new locker rooms for the football teams and a brand-new weight room.

It’s in direct correlation with the success of the Pam Pack’s various athletic programs. Since 2014, Washington boasts two swimming state championships. The boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, and Pam Pack football team have all played for state titles. Golf and wrestling have become 2-A powerhouses in the east, and the Lady Pack softball team made a regional-championship series.

“The momentum of our programs’ success has allowed us to get these things done,” Blank said.

The purchase adds almost seven acres to the Washington campus. The multi-purpose expansion will aid many of the school’s sports. The soccer program will gain its own full-size field. The team has been playing its games on the football field. In the past, it has practiced on that field, in the baseball outfield, and presently, at Kugler Field off campus.

“Getting them on campus has been a No. 1 priority for us, from a safety perspective, plus a pride perspective,” Blank said.

Fundraising is the next step. Washington held a meeting Wednesday to discuss its strategy. The school needs money for everything from fences and bleachers to lighting and more.

The process will be quick moving forward. Washington plans on having the new soccer field ready for the fall.

“I can’t wait to have the ground-breaking ceremony. The contractors said it will take 4-6 weeks, assuming the weather is good, to prepare the field. I can’t wait for the ribbon cutting,” Cook said.

The Beaufort County Commissioners funded the purchase of the property. Individual and corporate donors will cover the cost of readying the fields for play in the fall. Grant funding for the final phase will be done through Beaufort County Schools. Cook added that, as of last week, $125,000 has been raised.