The Nyssa School Board has greenlit the first phase of a plan to convert the high school football field into artificial turf.
On Monday, Feb. 17, the board unanimously approved a $110,000 design bid.
Nyssa School District Superintendent Ryan Hawkins said a committee formed by the district to study the turf project vetted three bids and recommended Wright Brothers Building Co., an Eagle, Idaho company.
The action came after the board voted down the design bid on Monday, Feb. 10, asking the turf committee to come back with additional information about a project that is estimated to cost $1.1 million.
Some board members said they wanted more information on the pros and cons of having turf instead of grass and how the maintenance costs compare.
Board member Maribel Ramirez wanted to hear from students about their preferences. She said some students expressed concern about scrapes and burns from playing on turf.
Hawkins said students should wear long sleeves and other protective gear.
Jazmine Ramirez (no relation to Maribel) said she spoke to current and former students and middle schoolers to gauge their level of support for the project. She said 16 of 21 students she contacted supported the project.
Hawkins said other students took a survey. He said 75% of the students surveyed were in favor of the project.
“We wanted to hear from everybody,” he said. “We didn’t just want positive comments. We wanted to hear their feedback.”
Hawkins said between the students Jazmine and Maribel spoke to and the district’s survey, they have a “good sample size” of students’ opinion of the project.
Jesse Melendez, the district’s maintenance director, told the board that an artificial turf sweeper would cost roughly $2,500. Melendez said a district worker would need to regularly sweep the turf, but that would take significantly less time than the hours it takes to water, cut and maintain a grass field.
Hawkins said design engineers would be coming in the next two weeks to conduct ground tests of the high school field.
From there, he said the board would need to approve the project’s construction phase. Hawkins said he hopes to bring the construction plans to the board in March for approval.
The project could be completed by August, according to Hawkins.
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Nyssa board to continue turf talk on Monday
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