Eastern York on the verge of decision on turf

Oct 31, 2008 (The York Dispatch - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- EAYO | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Eastern York parent Tracey Inners initially thought spending a million dollars at the high school to install synthetic turf and create a field house sounded like a waste of money.

"I was concerned about it. That's kind of spending more of my money on something I don't want," Inners said.

The school board will hold a building and grounds meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday to discuss spending $1.1 million on synthetic turf installation at the football stadium, plus converting a maintenance building into a field house.

Inners, a parent of a seventh-grade boy, said she has since changed her mind after talking with her husband and others familiar with the pros and cons of turf, an alternative to naturally growing grass.

"The cost of keeping up the grounds with regular grass ends up being more," Inners said.

She still wants the school board to provide research backing up that claim before they approve the project, which will be mostly funded with leftover money borrowed during the high school renovation.

"As long as they did their research on it. ... Otherwise, you've got some explaining to do," Inners said.

Too much on sports? High school and middle school mom Kathleen English has yet to hear a good reason why synthetic turf is needed. Although several York County stadiums have turf, she believes the money could be better used to buy textbooks, hire teachers or put toward other activities.

"Why don't they spend money on other things besides sports?"

said English, whose children are involved in band. "This is not the major leagues."

Spending money on sports is needed for good academics, said board member Darvin Shelley. The building and grounds committee chairman said synthetic turf, which would be installed on a field used for sports as well as the band, gives better facilities for everyone.

"I feel we should be spending money on education. But this is part of education. It instills teamwork, it instills discipline and school spirit," Shelley said. Academics are important long-term, he added. "Our kids have to be competitive, not only in sports, but in the real world, too."

Financially, it makes sense to do the project now, Shelley said. Contractors are eager for work -- the board likely will go out to bid soon -- and the board has money left from the high school renovation.

Safer, cheaper: Shelley confirmed Inners' belief synthetic turf saves money in the long run. The district will have the same amount of maintenance staff, he said, but they won't have to water grass and paint lines all the time, which means they will have more time for other projects.

-- Reach Andrew Shaw at 505-5431 or ashaw@yorkdispatch.com.

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