By VICKI URBANIK

Duneland Athletic Director Garry Nallenweg made a pitch before the Duneland School Board Monday to replace the natural grass at the Chesterton High school football field with synthetic turf.

The job would be initially costly -- somewhere in the neighborhood of possibly $700,000 to $900,000 -- but Nallenweg said that in the long run, it would save money and open the field to multiple uses.

The Duneland School Board directed Nallenweg to return with more detailed cost estimates and possible funding options at the next meeting.

Nallenweg said the current field suffers from drainage problems that forced the field to be closed at least once. Even if synthetic turf is installed, the project would involve the installation of a drainage system. “We don’t drain very well,” Nallenweg said, adding, “if it rains, we’re up a creek.”

He noted that the eight-year-old CHS field accommodates 14 fall events and five spring events. He outlined a long list of benefits that synthetic turf would provide: More uniform and consistent grounds, fewer injuries, lack of down-time, and no damage to turf after heavy uses.

“It makes sense over the long haul,” he said.

Nallenweg also said converting the field to a synthetic turf would free up other fields, since the new field would be striped for soccer as well as football. The CHS band now practices on a parking lot, but it would be able to use the new field. Further, PE classes could use the new field instead of the practice fields.

Nallenweg said the proposal is not intended “to keep up with the Joneses.” However, he said a growing number of schools are converting their turf. Crown Point is expected to get the material this year, and about 12 to 15 other schools are planning to install it in the coming years, he said. So far, the only Porter County school with the synthetic turf is Portage, which Nallenweg noted got to begin using its fields in February.

He also said synthetic turf is environmentally friendly: About 40,000 tires are recycled to make one field.

Nallenweg said the costs of irrigation, seeding, and staff hours needed to maintain the field would be eliminated with the new turf; the annual costs just for irrigation at the current field is about $10,000 to $12,000. In general, schools can recoup their costs in eight to 10 years, he said.

Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer said community help could be sought to help defray the costs. “It’s more than just a football field,” he said, citing the potential for large-scale uses.

A Warning

Commenting on the recent changes to education funding approved by Indiana lawmakers, Baer said Indiana will now require schools to do more with less resources. “What we do as a school corporation will not get easier,” he said.

Baer said he intends to give a more detailed legislative report at next month’s meeting, but noted that the property tax changes enacted by lawmakers -- including a property tax caps and restrictions on new construction -- may result in property tax savings but will have “some really long-ranging effects for education.”

Foundation Winner

Also Monday, the Duneland Education Foundation held its annual drawing for a $10,000 scholarship. The winner was Charlotte Kroft of Chesterton.

This year, 585 tickets were purchased. The proceeds raised are used to award grants to school projects.

Personnel

The school board approved the following appointments: Dolores Laughrey, Jackson Elementary lunch aide; Clint Brown, Alex Erickson, and Jeff Clark, all CHS boys track assistants; and Chris Holth, CHS boys track volunteer assistant.

The board also accepted the retirement of Julie Kasniunas, Bailly Elementary first grade teacher, and accepted the resignations of CHS guidance counselor Terri Debb, Liberty Elementary first-grade teacher Holly Koedyker and Jackson Elementary first-grade teacher Renee Blosky.

Posted 4/9/2008