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Germantown school board approves design work for turf on two HHS softball fields
Summary
The Germantown Municipal School District board voted unanimously 5-0 to authorize design services to prepare bids and approvals for installing turf on the two southernmost softball fields behind Houston High School, with engineering to include possible add-alternates such as track and lighting.
The Germantown Municipal School District Board of Education voted unanimously 5-0 on Sept. 30 to approve a professional services agreement to design turf installation for the two southernmost softball fields behind Houston High School.
The vote authorizes district staff to hire engineers to produce construction documents, coordinate required municipal and fire- marshal approvals, and prepare bid packages. Board member Hendricks moved the motion; board member Curry seconded. Chair Griffith called the roll; each board member voted "yes."
Board members and staff framed the approval as an initial, design-phase decision rather than approval of construction work. Superintendent Manuel and staff said the contract will produce drawings and cost estimates that the board can later use to accept bids, pick add-alternates, or defer elements depending on budget.
During discussion board members asked about scope. Staff said the design work will examine multiple uses for the site, not only turf for softball: the engineering team will evaluate placement of a track, field lighting and related infrastructure so the board can see pricing options as add-alternates or add-deducts when bids are returned. Miss Scott (district athletics/operations) told the board that if the design is approved the planning and approval process — including planning commission, design review and fire marshal reviews — would begin immediately and that a realistic timeline would put a bid before the board in spring 2026.
Staff also said some existing restroom and concession buildings on the site would not be removed by this project; upgrades to permanent buildings would require a separate architectural scope. The district will likely need new field lights to meet the requirements of a turf field, though some electrical reuse may be possible.
Board members and staff discussed the land-use exchange with the city that would give the district access to the property behind Houston High. Staff said the related land-usage agreement amendment remains under legal review; construction would not begin until those legal steps are completed.
If the board approves construction bids after the design phase, staff said work could proceed through a school year with appropriate safety measures; staff estimated that a practical earliest season for new turf to be in use would be spring 2027, assuming approvals and board action on bids in 2026.
The board's action on Sept. 30 was limited to approving the design services contract; no construction contract was approved at the meeting.
