Turf Replacement Project
Turf Replacement Project
The time has come to replace our turf field. The first football game on the turf field was played in 2006. With a general life span of ten years, our turf field has maintained wonderfully. Our field has provided experiences for our students and community members that have created lifetime memories. Our recent Impact Assessment indicates that the playing surface has become very hard and to ensure the safety of everyone who uses the field, it is time to complete this project. The turf replacement will begin in June with an anticipated completion in the summer of 2025. The total cost of the project is expected to be over $1 million. Approximately $350,000 of the funding for the project will come from set aside savings over the last several years and the remaining portion will come from a non-voted bond approved by the Board of Education. This will result in a payment the District will pay each year until the project is paid off. There will be no increase in taxes for the community due to this project. The District is able to afford this due to paying off existing debt from the QZAB which was a prior bond debt from 2007.
Our turf field and stadium was an amazing investment by the community over 15 years ago. The turf field allows for our football players, marching band, track and field, cheerleaders, PE classes, and other users to have a safe and accessible playing surface that can be used all year. The new turf will include updated graphics, stronger lines, preset marks for use by baseball and softball teams, and improved turf technology including a shockpad to reduce the wear of the field and improve player safety. We are so grateful for the investment the community made in Red Devil Stadium and look forward to this project so that our beautiful stadium will be available for our school community for years to come.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the existing turf field need to be replaced?
Each year, the District conducts an Impact Assessment to determine how hard the playing surface of the field is. Our most recent Impact Assessment indicates that the turf has become too hard for safe use. This is due to the degradation of the carpet fibers and less protection from the hard subsurface of the field. We want everyone who uses the field to have a safe experience. To provide this, the field needs to be replaced.
What will the new turf field look like?
A rendering of the new turf is below:
How will this project be paid for?
To prepare for this project, the District has been saving over the last several years. Over $350,000 of the project will be paid with money we have saved. The remaining cost will be paid with a School Improvement Bond, also known as a Non-Voted Bond, approved by the Board of Education. The State of Michigan allows governmental entities like public school districts to borrow a limited amount of funds to support projects like this. The opportunity for this is available due to the District paying off a 2007 QZAB School Improvement Bond. This reduced the debt load of the community by $1.7 million dollars. The District will use the funds that were used to make payments on this prior debt to pay for the new debt for the turf replacement.
Will the new turf field have any new features?
Yes. Artificial turf technology has changed since 2006. Design options are available now that did not exist in the past. The new turf field will include a shock pad and thatch technology that will work together to improve the safety of the field and increase the lifespan of the field by holding the infill of the field and providing more cushion on the field. The new field also includes more prominent boundary lines, preset markings for softball and baseball infield use, and added drill boxes for our student athletes to use.
Will any of the old turf be able to be salvaged?
No. The process for the turf removal will cut the old turf into chunks, roll the pieces, and then ship them out for disposal. These pieces of turf will include the full underlay of the turf including the carpet, subsurface, and infill. These will be large and heavy portions of the turf. The small black pebbles of infill will be rolled inside these pieces. Any outside use of these will be messy and difficult to move so there will not be any salvageable pieces of the turf.
