San Felipe-Del Rio CISD approves up to $72,000 FieldTurf contract for two practice fields

SAN FELIPE-DEL RIO CISD trustees on May 8 approved a contract not to exceed $72,000 with FieldTurf USA Incorporated to design and install artificial turf practice fields at Garfield Elementary and San Felipe Memorial Middle School.

The item was brought forward as a single consent agenda item after the board confirmed a quorum. Dr. Rios, presenting the item for district staff, said the district aims to have the turf installed in time "for the beginning of the 2025–26 school year" so students will have improved surfaces for physical education and after-school practices. "We are hoping to install turf fields at Garfield and at San Felipe Memorial Middle School so that with the beginning of the 2025–26 school year, the students there will have good fields for their PE classes and for practices after school," Dr. Rios said.

Board members were told the planned installations are practice-size surfaces rather than full-size game fields because of site property limitations. Dr. Rios said the district will first engage FieldTurf to perform survey and design work and then put the finalized designs out to bid; staff said the district hopes installation will be complete by the start of the school year in August or shortly after.

A board member asked whether the vendor would perform a geotechnical sampling of the ground. District staff responded that a geotechnical study already was commissioned and that the study cost was below the threshold requiring separate board approval; Hector Chapa confirmed the study cost was under $13,000.

The agenda described the action as "consideration to approve a contract over $5,000 and purchase order over $25,000 with FieldTurf USA Incorporated, the amount not to exceed $72,000, for artificial turf practice fields at Garfield Elementary and San Felipe Memorial Middle School." Trustee Orfeldt moved the item, Trustee Alvarez seconded, and the board approved the measure on a unanimous voice vote. The board placed the item on the consent agenda and then approved it. The transcript records the motion as carried unanimously; individual roll-call votes were not read into the record during the item.

There were no citizens’ comments on the item. With no other business on the special-call agenda, the board voted to adjourn.

The district cited compliance with the Texas Open Meetings Act (Texas Government Code, chapter 551) at the start of the meeting. The contract approval authorizes staff to proceed with the vendor engagement, survey and design, and subsequent bidding; further implementation steps and funding sources were not specified in the meeting transcript.