The Chiles Regional Football Field could soon be converted from grass to artificial turf.
The Leon County School Board recently voted to approve an agreement with George & Associates Consulting Engineers to provide services related to the placement of an artificial turf system and the design of the underdrainment for the Chiles High School Football field. The contract is for $12,620.
Ricky Bell, LCS Director Student Activities, told TR that artificial turf is an option for the Chiles High School field because of the high usage.
“Chiles has a lot of varsity and junior varsity teams that use the field and middle schools in the area also use the field,” said Bell.
Bell also said the field is hard to maintain even with spending approximately $80,000 each year.
The artificial turf cost is estimated to be approximately $850,000 and the installation -pending final approval – is expected to start in May and be complete by fall.
Chiles Football Field to be Converted to Artificial Turf added by Steve Stewart on
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Where is Lincoln’s? You give the worst athletic programs in the City everything – seriously? Why is Lincoln the last to get anything – have you taken a good look at how bad the fields are at Lincoln …. utter garbage but typical Rocky Hanna and Ricky Bell playing favorites
Turf is a much better option for the long term which is why you see schools across the country moving in this direction. In Southwest Georgia along Thomasville, Valdosta, Lowndes, Lee County, Colquitt County, and all of the schools in Albany use turf. I hear Cairo will be the next school to get it and possibly Thomas County Central. Move better option for saving $ over the long term and the upkeep is minimal. Not to mention that it looks great and provides a much safer playing environment that all sports can benefit from. Great move here.
Two kids had serious injuries playing at Chiles last season( middle schools use that field btw). Chiles field was horrible! I’m pretty sure safety was the reason why they got these fields…
The cost they’re citing for this is #fakenews. Although Chiles is claiming the artificial field will only cost Leon County Schools $850,000, the real cost for an artificial turf field in Florida is closer to $1.2 million. That comes out to $100,000 per year plus the annual cost to maintain a synthetic field which can run $30,000 plus labor. In addition to the $130,000 annual cost, the district will need to buy new equipment to maintain an artificial field and train staff in upkeep. I’d rather see that money go to teacher raises or programs that benefit ALL students.
The cost they’re citing for this is #fakenews. Although Chiles is claiming the artificial field only cost Leon County Schools $850,000, or $70,833.33 per year, the real cost for an artificial turf field in Florida is closer to $1.2 million. That comes out to $100,000 per year plus the annual cost to maintain a synthetic field which can run $30,000 plus labor. In addition to the $130,000 annual cost, the district will need to buy new equipment to maintain an artificial field and train staff in upkeep. I’d rather see that money go to teacher raises or programs that benefit ALL students.
Artificial turf is very bad as far as causing knee and other injuries. Given the age and critical stage of physical development of the students using the field it is a real safety issue. The well being of students should be put first before convenience. And it sounds like it doesn’t save money, so it seems they just don’t want to bother maintaining their facilities?
Capital Stadium is used by many high schools, while Chiles stadium, for the most part is used by Chiles.
Doesn’t Capital Stadium (Fairgrounds) get used more? Does IT have Artificial Turf? How many Schools use it? Make those Schools chip in to maintain it.
Didn’t the NFL get rid of artificial turf due to an increase in injuries?
So 80k per year for upkeep for natural turf, and 850k for artificial, do you think the artificial will last 8.5 years and how about the upkeep jobs lost by locals.
Just thinking out loud.
Have to love the new Assistant Superintendent over School construction.. wait that is self appointed Rocky Hanna.
Hanns acts as the man in charge over construction .. save us! Hanna rehired Mr. Bell who retired, went in DROP spent 5 years in DROP… rehired full time by Rocky, while his wife was promoted out of Godby High School – where she placed all students in AP US History except a few students to game the school grading system- it is called intent to defraud. Our school system run by Rocky “hit list” Hanna.
Spot ON! They play favorites and are the absolute WORST
So Leon County schools has found money for turf but no money for teacher raises? I don’t get it. Rocky Hanna hands out raises to people on his executive staff, only some, not all, he enforces a hit list that cost people their financial future, all the while teachers get no raises. We have a school board that sits silent. Leon County Schools home of the strange, led by a man that confessed to the school board attorney that he manufactured false information in a notebook where he wrote false and misleading allegations to state and federal authorities that cost us, taxpayers over $600,000. Nothing happens to him. What could be worse? Not paying child support for 10 years? Oh that’s right Rocky did that too.