MCPS found money for $1M artificial turf at Woodward High School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money is available for football fields but not summer programs.

That’s terrible. And turf is terrible. So many issues with artificial turf.

Not cheaper in the long run.

That is an obscene amount of money to be spending on crap turf.

football > education

Soccer and lacrosse don’t use the field?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't the local private soccer clubs usually pay for most of the turf?

They did at WJ.

Yeah, I think Juius West and Einstein, too

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capital vs Operating budget. Different pools of money that can't be mixed.

So more like a 1MM turf field means someone else has an HVAC system struggling longer.

It also means they don’t have to pay someone to mow it every week for fifty years.

20 years, but you don't have to mow packed clay either!

It only lasts 10 years and it requires extensive maintenance.

And it's dangerous

[Anonymous]

Sports seems to be the priority.

[Anonymous]

No, playing outside is the priority. The grass fields have been destroyed. They are full of mud pitts, bald spots, and rocks.
With turf, you can still play outside in the rain, and it costs less in the long run. MCPS cannot afford to care for grass, because it's not the priority. Playing outside is, therefore, turf. And, the recent new HSs turf fields are funded by MCPS (Seneca Valley, Northwood, Woodward), not any private clubs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, playing outside is the priority. The grass fields have been destroyed. They are full of mud pitts, bald spots, and rocks.
With turf, you can still play outside in the rain, and it costs less in the long run. MCPS cannot afford to care for grass, because it's not the priority. Playing outside is, therefore, turf. And, the recent new HSs turf fields are funded by MCPS (Seneca Valley, Northwood, Woodward), not any private clubs

Artificial costs more. Always has.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, playing outside is the priority. The grass fields have been destroyed. They are full of mud pitts, bald spots, and rocks.
With turf, you can still play outside in the rain, and it costs less in the long run. MCPS cannot afford to care for grass, because it's not the priority. Playing outside is, therefore, turf. And, the recent new HSs turf fields are funded by MCPS (Seneca Valley, Northwood, Woodward), not any private clubs

Artificial costs more. Always has.

Not if you don't want it to be a solid, baked red clay surface. 4 to 8 hours a day of PE and practice - day after day - takes a quick toll on real grass.

[Anonymous]

This seems like a huge misuse of funds and a dangerous one for our children. If I had an athlete that was spending a significant amount of time on turf, in the heat, breathing heavily while engaging in sport, I would be really concerned. The possible risks are just too great for the temporary benefits. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10262297/

[Anonymous]

Do we think this might have led to Seth Adams resignation? Not sure how turf is part of ADA compliance

https://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2024/07/mcps-seth-adams-tricked-board-of-ed.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capital vs Operating budget. Different pools of money that can't be mixed.

So more like a 1MM turf field means someone else has an HVAC system struggling longer.

It also means they don’t have to pay someone to mow it every week for fifty years.

Actually they have to groom it with a tractor and special attachment at least every week to keep the infill in pace and protecting the students. If they don't the students are less and less protected as the plastic blades mat down and the infill washes off . So yeah- there is still a lot of maintenance work that needs to be done on the plastic fields

[Anonymous]

AND the plastic carpet wears out and has to be replaced by 8 years (longer an it is no longer safe for the students)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Capital vs Operating budget. Different pools of money that can't be mixed.

No. Artificial turf is paid through the Operating Budget. It has been for years. One year Field Trip fees were used.

The MCPS Operating and Capital budget funds are mixed all the time. There is no oversight so MCPS regularly mixes the funds. They even have people paid out of the Capital Budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Money is available for football fields but not summer programs.

Couldn't that $ have been used to plow snow last month?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capital vs Operating budget. Different pools of money that can't be mixed.

So more like a 1MM turf field means someone else has an HVAC system struggling longer.

Approximately 40% of MCPS have HVAC replacement needs. I don't get the choices made in this school district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Capital vs Operating budget. Different pools of money that can't be mixed.

No. Artificial turf is paid through the Operating Budget. It has been for years. One year Field Trip fees were used.

The MCPS Operating and Capital budget funds are mixed all the time. There is no oversight so MCPS regularly mixes the funds. They even have people paid out of the Capital Budget.

I thought that the upcoming 6-year CIP had turf field funding in it.