Story originally published in The Sylva Herald, Aug. 26 edition
The Jackson County Board of Education voted Tuesday, Aug. 25, to bring in an engineering consultant to evaluate the artificial turf at Smoky Mountain High School and determine whether it needs to be replaced.
The board voted unanimously to authorize Superintendent Dr. Dana Ayers to negotiate an agreement with Fit Fields for the turf evaluation and possible replacement.
The turf is entering its 10th year. When Jackson County Public Schools initially installed the turf, the district chose high-end turf that was projected to last between 10 to 14 years.
“It was the top-of-the-line, and that quality has shown through, and it is doing well,” Deputy Superintendent Jake Buchanan said during Tuesday’s meeting. “What we wanted to do was select with it being that age––we are not experts on that, and we wanted to hire an expert that could advise us. How many more years do we have left? What are the options?”
JCPS does not currently have funding for a replacement. The district plans to use capital funds for the initial turf evaluation but would have to petition the Jackson County Board of Commissioners for funding if replacement is needed.
“The board has made the commissioners aware that this is on the horizon, but we do not currently have funds allocated for the actual replacement,” Buchanan said. “We have funds that we can pay to get their opinion, but then if they say ‘replaced,’ then we’ll be going to the commissioners and asking for those funds.”
The cost of the consulting agreement has not yet been determined. Buchanan said the district will negotiate the cost with Fit Fields after selecting the company through a request for qualifications.
“The problem is if it needs to be replaced and you’re putting the kids flying on it in danger,” said Board Chair Wes Jamison.
“That’s why we need to hire somebody that knows what they’re talking about,” Buchanan said.
“We’re selecting an engineer to advise us to be able to come in and evaluate and tell us, ‘Hey, you need to start planning to replace it in two years,’ or, ‘No, we think you could get four more years out of it,’” Buchanan said in a Monday interview.
Board member Kim Moore asked if the turf replacement would overlap with the fall football season. Buchanan said any turf construction would be scheduled during the summer to prevent disruption of high school athletics.
If the field remains in good shape, Buchanan added that the consultant will go beyond assessments.
“Let them be the ones that design the replacement, aid us with soliciting qualified bidders and ensure that when it is installed that it’s done to the specifications,” said Buchanan.
The field is used by Smoky Mountain High School and the community throughout the year. Buchanan said the turf has allowed the field to remain available for community use without the limitations of a grass field.
“It has just been a wonderful thing for our community to be able to use that field any time that we needed to,” said Buchanan.
