Flatonia ISD to Open the Bid Process for Artificial Turf Project at Football Stadium
Flatonia ISD will soon begin replacing the natural grass on its football field with artificial turf. Dr. Andy Reddock, the school superintendent, said the district will open bids for the project next week. He estimated the cost at $750,000 to $850,000.
In 2018, voters in the Flatonia Independent School District approved a $13.95 million construction bond to pay for a major overhaul of the district’s facilities. Part of the project included a new running track around the football field. The track was estimated to cost about $1 million, to be paid out of bond proceeds. The FISD school board voted back in March to pay for the artificial turf field out of the school’s general fund.
“As we went through (the track) project, there were a lot of drainage things that had to be done to the track and part of that involved the field, especially on the outer edges,” Reddock said. “The discussion came up regarding our field, that the last time anything had been done to it was when it was put in back in the late 1990s.”
Reddock said the school board compared the cost of replacing the grass field with artificial turf.
According to the numbers provided by Reddock, roughly half the cost of the initial turf installation involves preparation work. The school’s architect for the turf project, Sports Design Group of McKinney, estimated a lifespan of 10 years for the artificial turf surface. Reddock said the cost of replacing the surface in 10 years at around $400,000 to $500,000. That brings the cost of an artificial field over 20 years to $1.15 to $1.25 million.
Reddock estimated the cost of installing a new natural grass field at a little over $1 million.
“Over the lifespan of a field, the numbers we kept getting (showed that) the artificial field is a little more expensive on the front end, but over time it balances out,” Reddock said.”
Reddock said maintenance cost for natural grass, such as fertilizer, mowing and irrigation, negates the extra expense of artificial turf over time.
Moreover, he said FISD hopes to host events like track meets once the new track and field are complete.
“The feedback I’ve got from coaches is that our kids are excited to have turf to play on,” Reddock said. “It’s also going to benefit our band.”
Some critics of artificial turf fields say the hard surface can cause more injuries than natural grass. Reddock said the school board considered safety concerns, but he said the latest artificial turf technology matches natural grass in terms of safety.
“The board wanted to make sure there’s not a decrease in safety,” he said.
Reddock said the track and field project should be complete in time for football season in the fall.