De Soto will be playing football on an artificial turf field when its kicks off the 2011 season in September.
The De Soto Board of Education approved bids for construction of a new turf field for football and a new rubberized track at a special meeting March 31. The cost of the project, which also includes sidewalks, paving and fencing at the football field/track facility, is approximately $833,000.
The project will be funded with money from a $11.5 million bond issue approved in November 2009. De Soto voters have approved three bond issues in the last 10 years.
De Soto assistant superintendent Trish Burkeen said work on the football field is scheduled to be completed in time for the Dragons' season opener.
Work on the football field and track will begin May 31. The football field is expected to be completed by Aug. 31. Work on the track is scheduled to be wrapped up by Sept. 30.
The price tag on the football field is $419,775. The cost of the track is $413,620.
The improvements to the track will represent a sea-level change in the facility. De Soto currently has a six-lane asphalt track. The new track will be an eight-lane rubberized surface.
The school board has had improvements to the track and football field on its things-to-do list for some time.
"It's been a five-year facilities plan that's been extended," Burkeen said.
Jokerst Paving of Festus will be the general contractor for the project. ATG Sports of Andover, Kan., will be the subcontractor.
ATG installed turf fields at Festus and Jefferson R-7 last year, and in the last two years the group's projects have included football fields at a dozen Missouri high schools as well as at Missouri State University and the University of Oklahoma.
When the school board and administration was considering bids for the project, a group went to Festus to look at ATG's work there. They were impressed. Not only was the turf field and track still nice and shiny - they were installed last summer - but the facility was being used by three P.E. classes.
"That was phenomenal to see," Burkeen said.
A primary attraction of turf over grass is the use factor. Schools are protective of grass fields because even routine use takes a toll. With turf, the facilities can go years without showing the wear and tear.
"Turf is allowing you to have use of your facilities," Burkeen said.
An in-house count put use of De Soto's grass football field at approximately 90 hours per year. Burkeen said the district estimates that with turf installed usage will climb at least 20 times the current level and maybe as much as 30 times.
