Emporia High School will still be getting a new turf football field, however, the project timeline has been pushed back significantly.
The USD 253 Board of Education approved the installation of a new field back in May with ATG Sports being awarded the contract with a $410,000 bid. During a special USD 253 Board of Education meeting Tuesday evening it was revealed that in the early stages of the installation process crews discovered an abundance of moisture under the field’s base on both the north side and east end.
ATG President of Construction Don Bollinger says the moisture is the product of saturated soils likely caused by one of two factors.
Regardless of the cause, the board of education needed to take additional action for any repair work as the original project did not include any work on the field’s base. As such, board members approved a recommendation from ATG to stabilize the soil under the field at a cost of just over $331,000 on top of the original amount bringing the total project cost to just over $700,000 to be paid for out of the capital outlay fund.
The approved recommendation also gives district administrators “latitude” to cover any additional costs that may arise as the work progresses.
Board President Mike Crouch says it is a small price to pay to ensure the safety of all staff and students who utilize the field on a regular basis.
According to Bollinger, it is unlikely the new turf will be installed before the start of the school year as they have to pull crews from other projects to assist with the upcoming work at EHS. The hope is that the field will be prepared and ready for turf to be laid before EHS’ first home sporting event.
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