[SchoolMatters] Synthetic turf fields

Tue Aug 14 09:46:29 EDT 2007

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
This message is not an official communication of the Albemarle County School
Board. SchoolMatters is a private, e-mail newsletter written by Brian
Wheeler, At-Large Member of the Albemarle County School Board.  This
communication authorized by Brian Wheeler for School Board.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

[Want to share some public comments on this message?  See the weblog version
here: http://schoolmatters.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/08/turf.html]

The Daily Progress editorial this morning is on the subject of accepting a
gift for the installation of a synthetic turf field at Monticello High
School.  Monticello's goal is to raise 100% private funds to purchase the
$800,000 turf field.  Last Thursday, the School Board was told they do not,
however, have a major sponsor lined up to fund the field.  The Monticello
community it trying to identify the right way to manage this project and
initiate the necessary fundraising. I applaud their initiative.

Editorial:
http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Common%2FMGArticle%2
FPrintVersion
<http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Common%2FMGArticle%
2FPrintVersion&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352362790&image=80x60cdp.gif&oasDN=dailyp
rogress.com&oasPN=%21news%21opinion>
&c=MGArticle&cid=1173352362790&image=80x60cdp.gif&oasDN=dailyprogress.com&oa
sPN=%21news%21opinion

Staff report for School Board:
http://www.wheeleronboard.com/docs/20070809-MHS-turf.pdf

First, I'll point out that I am already on record with my colleagues
recommending that the school division evaluate the installation of turf
fields at all three of our high schools.  I think we need them.  My kids
play field hockey, lacrosse, and soccer and have played on these turf fields
around the state, at UVA and at St. Anne's Belfield.  They are a wonderful
playing surface for the athletes.  Athletic Directors and coaches trying to
schedule practices, games, and tournaments around inclement weather have a
whole different set of reasons to like these fields.

At our meeting last week, the School Board learned that Albemarle County
Parks & Recreation has indicated they would be willing to reallocate
$250,000 already budgeted to light a practice field at Monticello towards a
turf field in the stadium.  Further, the School Board was told Parks & Rec
would support budgeting $500,000 towards similar fields at Western Albemarle
and Albemarle High Schools (i.e. $250,000 per school).  That puts
Monticello's fundraising goal at around $550,000 and they are hoping for
some in-kind construction donations to lower that amount.  Again, according
to Monticello's Athletic Director, there is not a single benefactor prepared
to write a check for the field at this time.  They do of course hope to
bring major donors on board as soon as possible. 

My goal in the School Board meeting last week was to learn from staff about
their recommendation and the different financing options so we can have a
model that could be followed by the other schools.  This project, as
presented, involves a huge capital expense, a single-vendor trying to get
the business from us, and long-term costs we will all have to pay as a
community to replace the turf down the road (i.e. we need to channel any
maintenance cost savings for grass fields into a "turf replacement fund" for
ANOTHER $250,000 to $300,000 expense 15-18 years from now).  As soon as one
high school has a turf field, the other schools will want one too.  We need
to ensure we have a good process in place and that these capital investments
by local government (at least the $250,000 per school) go through the
capital budget vetting process.

I am all for creativity and public-private partnerships.  I want world class
facilities built in an equitable manner that our taxpayers will see as smart
and efficient investments.  I am confident we can make this a win-win
proposition.  It starts with the School Board asking questions.  One thing
we heard from our attorney last week was that the MHS boosters would not, in
his opinion, be able to donate the field to the school division without
going through the state's procurement/bidding process.  That was news to the
MHS folks.  Another option discussed was a "co-operative procurement
process" where we piggyback on another school's bid.

There are a lot of details to work out and the school board gave
Superintendent Moran plenty of topics to investigate further.  I look
forward to our staff reporting back at a future meeting this Fall with their
recommendations as to how we can help move this project forward.

Want to listen to the Board's discussion from last week?  There are two
audio files available here:

http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/docmgr/default.php
?sectiondetailid=41908
<http://schoolcenter.k12albemarle.org/education/components/docmgr/default.ph
p?sectiondetailid=41908&catfilter=7987#showDoc> &catfilter=7987#showDoc

*	Audio file #1 - conversation starts at 89:20
*	Audio file #2 - conversation continues at 00:00

Brian Wheeler

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Brian Wheeler
 <mailto:bwheeler at albemarlematters.com> bwheeler at albemarlematters.com
 <http://www.wheeleronboard.com/> http://www.wheeleronboard.com
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