School Board Needs to Justify Synthetic Turf Field to Entire Community

The School Board regarding installing synthetic turf in the athletic stadium at its yet-to-be-built third high school.

Though the topic didn't appear on the board's agenda for its Jan. 10 meeting, members discussed the issue with District 308 Executive Director of Construction Services Doug Gallois for more than 30 minutes. Talks centered on community usage, safety and the possibility of sponsorship opportunities to help offset costs. The prospect of adding synthetic turf at the district's other two high schools also was discussed in regards to whether the district could get a discount for installing more than one field at a time.

The board directed Gallois to return to its meeting Monday, Jan. 24, with some answers to questions raised during the discussion. 

The price tag on a synthetic turf field would run up to $800,000. The price to install a grass field is about $250,000. The upside financially, Gallois and some board members said, is maintaining a turf field would cost about $25,000 less annually. Another huge plus would be the amount of use the field would get from not only the School District, but also community groups and athletic leagues.

Gallois said the amount of use alone is enough to justify the extra expense. This, as they say, is where the rubber meets the road.

Is there any justification these days for extra expenses in government projects? Some would argue absolutely not. Taxpayers have clipped their budgets to the quick, why shouldn't taxing bodies?

At the to determine if a tax increase referendum to support senior services would be placed on the April 5 ballot, one resident chided the School Board for having "more concern about Astroturf" than curriculum.

The remark was met with a hefty round of applause from audience members, and while it's certainly a bit of exaggeration, the sentiment in large segments of the community is the district should be scaling back spending, not adding more.

What might be warranted here is for board members to engage in some informal pulse-taking of the community. Talk to more than just parents of school-age children about whether they feel a turf field is worth the extra tax dollars. After all, if you own a home within the district, you're paying thousands of dollars a year in taxes whether your children are enrolled in school or not. Those folks deserve to be heard.

In the end, a synthetic turf field at the stadium might make the most sense, but the School Board would be wise to listen to the voices that urge constraint when it comes to the appearance of over-spending on this or any project.