MCPS found money for $1M artificial turf at Woodward High School
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Anonymous
| Money is available for football fields but not summer programs. |
Anonymous
| They have summer programs for those they deem need it. But, its absurd to cut tutoring for turf which has known issues. |
Anonymous
The construction contract for Woodward HS is $105,000,000. That's 105 one-millions. https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/C6GJUH4E363D/$file/Award%20Cont%20Charles%20%20W%20Woodward%20HS%20Reopen%20Proj.pdf |
Anonymous
| Capital vs Operating budget. Different pools of money that can't be mixed. |
Anonymous
So more like a 1MM turf field means someone else has an HVAC system struggling longer. |
Anonymous
It also means they don’t have to pay someone to mow it every week for fifty years. |
Anonymous
20 years, but you don't have to mow packed clay either! 
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Anonymous
Capital funds. Bond proceeds. So right now there is a mound of construction dirt. Your solution? |
Anonymous
Artificial turf comes out of the Operating Budget. |
Anonymous
It only lasts 10 years and it requires extensive maintenance. |
Anonymous
MCPS pays salaries out of the Capital Budget. The budgets are mixed together. |
Anonymous
Artificial turf is paid for out of money collected from Field Trips. That's the Operating Budget. Thank you for overpaying for field trips. MCPS Board of Education FY 2014 Budget Questions and Answers 27. Chapter 8-59 under realignment notes a realignment of $40,000 from the Field Trip Fund to support artificial turf replacement costs. Please explain. Budget page reference: 8-59 The Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) standard for high school stadium fields is a natural grass surface with an irrigation system. Stadium fields require a high level of maintenance that includes regular cycles of mowing, watering, fertilization, and aeration to maintain the fields in acceptable condition for various high school athletic events. Unfortunately, the majority of high schools and their Booster Clubs cannot make the financial commitment that is necessary to maintain a natural grass field in excellent playing condition. Therefore, there is a large disparity in the condition of stadium fields across the county. The Department of Facilities Management (DFM) and the Interscholastic Athletics Unit staff have evaluated the use of artificial turf for MCPS high school stadium fields. Artificial turf provides a safe and durable surface for various athletic events and requires very little maintenance. The installation of artificial turf fields will eliminate the disparity in the condition of stadium fields among high schools across the county. The life expectancy of artificial turf fields is approximately ten years. The ten-year life-cycle cost to install artificial turf is approximately the same as the ten-year life-cycle cost to install and properly maintain a natural grass field. A turf reserve fund has been created to build up funds necessary to cover future replacement of artificial turf after ten years. The source of funding for this reserve fund is a portion of the Interagency Coordinating Board (ICB) fees that are charged for the rental of these turf fields, and the funds budgeted in the interscholastic athletics account that will no longer be needed to maintain the natural turf fields. During development of the FY 2014 budget, DFM estimated that annual payments of approximately $40,000 will be received from the ICB for the turf reserve fund. Since there was excess appropriation available in the Field Trip Fund, appropriation was moved from the Field Trip Fund to the Real Estate Management Fund to cover the $40,000 that will be received from the ICB in FY 2014. |
Anonymous
| Every HS gets built with artificial turf fields. I know some don't like them (parent coalition and Diana C), but for now anyway, they are here to stay. |
Anonymous
It's a choice. Artificial turf over summer programs. That decision is here to stay. Education is not the priority. Accept it. |
Anonymous
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