Emmett High School Athletics Field to be Replaced with Turf!
At the May Regular School Board Meeting, the ESD Board of Trustees voted to replace the Emmett High School Athletics field with artificial turf. This decision was made following a discussion involving the available options. The current field conditions required either a full sod replacement or a change to turf due to safety concerns and the age of the field.
Bids on replacing the field with sod were estimated at over $800,000. Bids for a turf replacement are currently projected to be below the provided estimate of $1,335,202.
The discussion included multiple factors. A sod replacement would allow for a narrow use of the field for football and track. A turf replacement would allow a broader use of the field for multiple sports and activities including football, track, marching band, boys and girls soccer, rugby, and lacrosse. Easier, more cost-effective maintenance and increased longevity were discussed. Whereas a sod field does not need to meet requirements for safety, a turf field must meet multiple requirements continually–a factor contributing to the assessment that a turf field may provide increased safety for our student-athletes.
In addition, turf fields can generate revenue with other programs seeking such a venue to host events. There is discussion of the possibility of leasing the field for 1A and 2A state playoff games and to a semi-pro football team that has made inquiries.
No funding for this project will come from locally-funded levy dollars. Instead, the project will be funded with ESD carryover funds, state legislative carryover funds, and budget adjustments. Additional funding for non-sports-related facilities costs is expected from the state level next year and will assist in allowing funds to be adjusted for this and other needed projects.
The project of replacing the field with turf is expected to be completed and ready for the start of the football season August 12, 2024.
To watch the full discussion on this topic, please tune in at 1:01:30 on the meeting recording.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42U3I-4ALlo
To see the supplemental materials that were reviewed by the board, please see the agenda at the link below.
https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/.../ViewMeeting.aspx...
To see a comparison between sod and turf, please check out the following link:
https://docs.google.com/.../1KAUViHYmKRRFQJom5CQbFy1.../edit
The timing of the decision and community pride were also discussed during the board meeting. The decision was made by the board members who voiced this as the best decision for our students, schools, district, and community. There is much optimism that a turf facility will bring many benefits to all in a safe, cost-effective, long-term solution.
