For many school districts, athletic programs have become a crown jewel in their curricula. Throw in the ability of many students to afford to go to college via an athletic scholarship and all of a sudden, the desire to install turf fields in the interest of field longevity and cache is understandable.
For the Garden City Public School District, the addition of a turf field at the high school 10 years ago hasn’t been an issue. Paid for by way of grant monies versus going through a lengthy and expensive bond process, it was completed in September 2005. According to an email response from Dr. Catherine Knight, coordinator of public information for Garden City Public Schools, “The district has been vigilant in monitoring discussions about turf safety to stay appraised of any new data.”
Nearby Sewanhaka High School is in the process of getting turf installed on the football field over the next two years. And while there are safety concerns that come up with turf fields, it doesn’t concern that district’s Superintendent, Dr. Ralph Ferrie, who argues studies are a case-by-case basis. He said he relied on independent analysis from universities in selecting synthetic turf for the district.
—For more on the field turf debate, please go to “The Weekend” page 4A
Rich Forestano contributed to this story.
