Other Albemarle high schools expected to get turf fields

Albemarle and Western Albemarle high school student-athletes will likely be playing on artificial turf fields by January.

County school officials say the project’s biggest donor has upped the contribution enough for the fields to be fully funded. Construction is expected to begin in November.

“We’re going to get a lot more use of the fields, and that will be very beneficial to the kids,” said Matt Haas, Albemarle’s director of secondary education.

Several years ago, an anonymous donor offered $325,000 each to Western Albemarle, Monticello, Albemarle and Charlottesville high schools for the installation of artificial turf fields. And the schools were charged with collecting the remaining funding.

Monticello was able to raise enough money to install its field in the summer of 2009.

The project’s major anonymous donor recently gave Albemarle and Western Albemarle high schools another $187,056, to total $837,056 for the two schools, enough to cover the remaining costs of the fields, according to Haas.

Combined, the two synthetic turf fields are expected to cost about $1.1 million, Haas said. In addition to private donations, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors fronted $75,000 to each of Albemarle’s three high school turf field candidates, in late 2008, using funds in the parks and recreation department’s budget.

The $225,000 had initially been slated for practice field lights, Haas said, adding that those additional lights won’t be necessary now, because sports teams will be able to use the turf fields for both games and practice.

“So you’re going to get better use out of the funding, and certainly all of the people that live around the schools don’t want to see more lights at night,” Haas said.

WAHS and AHS are using the same company Monticello High School used — AstroTurf, formerly GeneralSports Venue. The product that will be used on the two schools’ fields will be as high quality as the Monticello field, Haas said.

The two schools have not decided on permanent field lines yet. MHS has permanent football and soccer field lines.

Monticello’s field has been a big hit, according to Haas.

“They have no more game cancellations. … That’s huge,” Haas said. “For the student-athletes, things stay much more settled. And I think they can do better, academically, when they know, ‘If I have a game today, I’m going to have it.’”

Haas noted that teams with synthetic turf fields are also able to host more games.

“So what that means is that it’s not just a football field anymore. Other sports [teams] can use it,” he said. “Now, it can be used really 24 hours a day, if that’s possible, by everybody.”

Other sports teams and the general public typically aren’t allowed to use Albemarle High School’s football field, Haas noted. And the football team practices on a separate field.

Turf fields, unlike grass, can be used repeatedly without significant damage, which opens up more opportunities for public use. Residents have been able to use Monticello’s field unannounced for pick-up sports games.

School officials also hope the fields will generate more revenue, because the fields can be used for more sporting events than grass can because there’s virtually no wear and tear in the short term.

Though the turf will have to be replaced about once a decade, school officials have said that replacement costs will be less expensive than maintaining grass.

Beth Baptist, the Charlottesville school division’s director of special education and student services, said new turf fields in Albemarle County is good news for the city.

“That helps our students, too, since so many of our students participate in activities on the Albemarle County fields,” Baptist said.

Charlottesville High School has also been offered $325,000 toward a synthetic turf field, by Albemarle’s major donor.

Baptist said CHS has raised little money so far, other than the $325,000 gift, but she’s hoping fundraising efforts will be more successful now that Albemarle’s fields have been fully funded.

“Hopefully, now the focus can be on us,” she said.

Those interested in donating can call Baptist at 245-2405 or CHS’s athletic director, Rick Lilly, at 245-2410.

A final sign-off from the Board of Supervisors is required before work on Albemarle’s turf fields can start, and school officials expect to receive supervisors’ blessing at a November meeting.

Prior to the installation of Monticello’s turf field, some Albemarle officials and residents had expressed concern about the safety of the fields. However, many officials have said the chemicals in turf do not pose a threat and that the consistent terrain could help prevent knee and ankle injuries.