Artificial Turf in MoCo High Schools - How much do parentsw have to pay

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how schools get artificial turf football fields?

My kids school has asked, and the answer is NO.

But Wootton HS in Potomac is getting one. Apparently, the parents are paying part of the fee.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/agenda/2011-12/2012-1113/111312.pdf

and
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/meetings/agenda/2011-12/2012-1113/5.2.12%20Thomas%20S%20Wootton%20HS%20Rqst%20Fund%20Turf.pdf

How did Wootton get picked? Is it fair just becaise they are a school with loads of money that they get priority?

I am going to email the BOE today and tell them off.

Is this the right address?


[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

I heard a football parent at Wootton has connections and is willing to shell out the cash if the other parents don't.

[Anonymous]

Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.
- the temperature gets much hotter than grass fields, which apparently stresses the kids
- there's some toxic rubbery thing involved in laying out the artificial turf.

I don't have a dog in this fight (my kids do different sports) and I don't even know enough about it to have a truly informed opinion. But apparently artificial turf is a mixed blessing. There's some MoCo parent group that is protesting artificial turf fields, doing a blog with thermometers on the fields, and the rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But Wootton HS in Potomac is getting one.

Wootton is in Rockville.

[Anonymous]

Wootton hates to think they are in Rockville. The school is on the border and so they call themselves Potomac.

[Anonymous]

RM (proudly in Rockville) has one too. Some kind of deal with a private organization who uses the fields at off times. As I recall, there were alot of negatives and some parents complained.

[Anonymous]

Saves $ in the long run, though?

[Anonymous]

There are 4-5 turf fields at MoCo high schools. At least 2 (RM and WJ) were funded in large part by soccer clubs who use the fields on evenings and weekends. Blair's was part of their renovation project. I think the county put one in this year, maybe at Gaithersburg. All the turf fields get used heavily for playoff games by all the schools. It is easier to stick with schedules on turf than grass with weather challenges.

Wootton's field is terrible, esp for soccer. There are dangerous drainage ditches inbounds on the field. I hope they get a turf field next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Saves $ in the long run, though?

Only if you can get someone else to pay for it, because it's darned expensive. Looks like some high schools have found sponsors, though.

[Anonymous]

Here:

Artificial Turf Staff Work Group Report: http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/csltmpl.asp?url=/content/council/ATworkgroup/AT_workgroup.asp

Gazette summary: http://ww2.gazette.net/stories/07072010/montnew185658_32554.php

Sierra Club: http://maryland.sierraclub.org/montgomery/newsletter_0911.html

[Anonymous]

I think it's sad that we're at the point where even in HS we want to replace grass playing fields with turf.

Also for a while there a problem because the green dye used lead-- so the fields generated a lot of lead dust. Supposedly they fixed it.

[Anonymous]

Anytime a school is renovated they will get a new turf field. Schools that are not scheduled can get turf fields if an outside group is willing to foot at least 1/3 the cost.