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Why was grass growing out of control in front of Beach schools?

Posted at 6:36 PM, Jul 28, 2014
and last updated 2014-07-28 18:36:10-04

Virginia Beach, Va. - Long blades of grass and weeds lined the sidewalk outside of Plaza Middle school.

NewsChannel 3 took a drive to the school to measure it ourselves to see how long it really was, and we wanted to make sure Virginia Beach Public Schools aren't above city laws.

According to Virginia Beach city code, grass and weeds cannot grow more than 10 inches. If it reaches that limit, the city will send a notice, ordering the property owner to cut it within seven days.

At Plaza, the grass was freshly cut, so NewsChannel 3 checked down the road at Holland Elementary where the grass was visibly longer.

NewsChannel 3 took action and measured it to make sure the schools were following city code. It turns out, they were.

The grass measured out to be seven or eight inches long.

We contacted school officials to ask why the grass has gotten so long. They told us that year-round, all the grass on school property is cut every 16-18 days.

But lately, because of the recent storms and muddy ground, the mowing was delayed.

School officials tell NewsChannel 3 the city and the school are responsible for taking care of the grass, and landscaping is factored into the budget.

The only reason the grass is longer than usual is because of the recent weather.