After the rain that fell
during this past spring, summer, and fall of 2018, the field had become
unsafe for their all-purpose stadium.
The district was left
with the task to replace the grass on the field with a price tag of over
$200,000 or look at options of installing turf, which has been discussed for
over a decade.
In December 2018, the North Schuylkill School Board approved a $1,119,337.92 project with FieldTurf USA Inc. to replace the current field with a synthetic turf field.
This week, the ground was officially broken and the project began.
The new field comes with an 8-year warranty and advertised to last at least 12 years and with proper maintenance would last 20 years.
At the approval meeting in December of 2018, it was announced that the school district will be receiving help in paying for the new field.
The board said that three "generous" donors will be helping with the cost. The identity of those donors has not been announced.
After contributions, the district will be left with a bill for $295,000, which will be paid in installments of $24,600 over a 12-year period.
The board has also stated that instead of passing the cost onto the taxpayers, the district will be coming up with projects to help raise money, including a project currently taking place involving selling engraved bricks to place in memory of a loved one.
The installer, FieldTurf USA Inc. has installed their synthetic turf at local fields such as Lehighton, Southern Columbia, and Hamburg and over 20 Pro and College Stadiums.
