Jackson school officials explore turf option for football field

The Jackson High School football field could be converted to artificial turf as soon as 2019, but it is still in the research stage, district superintendent John Link said.

Link said the move is derived from the district�s facilities master plan, and will free up land near the high school for expected growth.

The high-school campus is essentially landlocked, bordered by a cemetery, St. Paul Lutheran Church and School, and East Jackson Boulevard, Link said.

�We have to figure green space if we need to build,� Link said, and the current practice football field could be a potential building site, in the future.

Artificial turf on the game field would allow practice without the need to repair sod before a game.

The junior varsity and varsity teams at the high school use the practice field, Link said, as does the junior high football team and the marching band.

That�s a lot of wear, Link said.

�We spend a lot of money on sodding the surface,� Link said, though he did not have specific figures. The fields must be re-seeded, watered and fertilized, with holes repaired and lines repainted. That takes money and manpower, Link said, which could be better spent elsewhere.

�There�s a lot of thought gone into this,� Link said. �It�s not just aesthetics.�

Link said the school has contracted with its current architects, Incite Design Studios LLC of Kansas City, Missouri, and their turf specialists will put together a plan with an estimated cost and timeline.

Finances have yet to be determined, Link said, but he emphasized the project would be funded by all new funds, not Proposition J dollars.

Prop J, a $22 million bond issue to improve the district�s facilities, was passed by Jackson voters in April.

The district already has several building projects underway, including an addition to the high school that will allow ninth-grade students to join the rest of the high-school students. To allow space for that building, �Old A,� the former high school that had fallen into disrepair, was torn down in June.

District officials also are looking at other athletic fields� uses, Link said.

The soccer fields at the junior high school might have to be rethought as well, perhaps to add on to the existing parking lot, Link said.

As for the artificial turf at the high-school football field, Link said he hopes to move forward with this project quickly, for a couple of reasons.

�Obviously, prices are not going down,� Link said of materials and labor costs.

Link said this is a good time of year to explore this project, since off-season prices are typically better.

The technology for artificial turf has improved dramatically, Link added.

�It�s almost like grass,� he said.

Artificial turf does have safety advantages as well, Link said, especially in wet or freezing conditions.

Athlete safety is the highest priority, he said.

�Our coaches do a good job,� Link said, but if artificial turf can help avoid injuries, it�s worth exploring.

�We want to research this,� he said. �If we�re going to spend the money, we want to be sure about it.�

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

Jackson High School, Jackson, Mo.