After eight years of wear, tear and numerous tackles, Hays CISD will replace the in-place artificial turf at both Shelton Stadium and Lobo Field.
That decision was made after the board of trustees approved a $745,082 bid from Paragon to replace the current synthetic surface, which was installed in 2009.
Carter Scherff, Hays CISD acting superintendent, said May 15 the district solicited proposals from three companies for the new turf and will use $1.6 million the district had set aside for field replacement.
The district, starting in 2009, set aside $200,000 in committed fund balance annually for the eventual replacement of the field, Scherff said.
While conditions vary, Scherff said eight years is the normal life expectancy for artificial turf.
“Generally, if you get eight years, you’ve done well,” Scherf said. “If you get ten years, you’ve done really, really well.”
Scherff said the district is only addressing the turf and not the base layers underneath the “rug,” which would constitute a higher price tag.
The district is also preparing for the addition of a third turf field, which is to go at the new high school being built next to Carpenter Hill Elementary.
Scherff said the district would leave the remaining $800,000 or so in committed fund balance, while reducing the annual commitment to $100,000. He expects the potential $1.6 million set aside by the district to fully cover all three fields that will be used.
“It will provide a little extra. If we can replace two (fields) for $800,000, we should be able to replace three for $1.2 million,” Scherff said. “In another eight years, my expectation is we will have to do significant work to the base underlying the field.”
The move is the second turf replacement at Shelton Stadium and the initial replacement at Lobo Field.
Hays CISD installed the first synthetic turf field at Shelton Stadium in 2003, which was followed by the construction of Lobo Field when Lehman High was built in 2004.
