Montgomery County Public Schools has a $55 million plan to continue the installation of more artificial turf fields across the school system, but students and County Executive Marc Elrich have spoken out in opposition.
The Maryland school system’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP) calls for the installation of new artificial turf fields at Col. Zadok Magruder High School, Poolesville High School, Springbrook High School and Watkins Mill High School.
Replacement fields are planned for Richard Montgomery High School and Walt Whitman High School.
There are also plans for a possible replacement of playgrounds at some schools.
According to MCPS documents, costs to install or replace the artificial turf fields range from $1 million to $3.6 million, and the projects are subject to change “based on priorities and approved funding levels.”
At Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, a group of Montgomery County students, several of them involved in Eco MoCo, a student-led nonprofit environmental group, argued against artificial turf fields.
Deep Mathur, who described himself as a varsity track athlete and Eco MoCo’s advocacy director, urged the school board to listen to the students who have competed on artificial turf fields.
“I know what it feels like to walk out onto a field in the middle of a hot practice and just want to get through a workout,” Mathur, a student at Seneca Valley High School, told the board,
“When that field can reach 140 to 170 degrees at the surface, heat is no longer just uncomfortable; it becomes a safety issue,” he said. “Invest in the students who use these fields, not the surface that replaces them.”
Samriti Venkat, a Northwest High School student athlete and a member of Eco MoCo told the board, “As someone who’s played both lacrosse and field hockey, I’ve played games on both surfaces and the difference in heat on turf is noticeable.”
Venkat also said synthetic turf could contribute to microplastic pollution. Natural grass, she said, “helps absorb stormwater, reduce runoff, cool the surrounding area and support healthier soil.”
Earlier in the week, Elrich urged the school board to shift to natural grass fields instead. Proponents of artificial turf argue the surface does a better job of standing up to heavy use, but Elrich said during his weekly briefing, “natural grass fields work when they’re installed properly with the right drainage and the right type of grass and the right type of care.”
When it comes to cost, MCPS has noted that maintenance for natural grass fields includes mowing, weed treatments and aerating, among other tasks.
The MCPS athletics program website extols the virtues of artificial turf fields, in part, by arguing they provide “a greater degree of equity between schools,” require less maintenance, and provide high-quality practice fields, “decreasing off-campus field needs.”
Nearly half the school district’s existing fields are artificial turf.
The school board approved the $55 million, six-year CIP, but is still considering bids.
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