Grafton schools put stadium turf replacement on capital radar as operations staff detail repairs

GRAFTON — School operations staff told the Grafton School Committee the district’s synthetic stadium turf has exceeded its designed lifespan and is slated for capital replacement if funding is approved.

“750,000 is the estimate,” said Frank Rothwell during an operations update, describing multiple tears, patched sections of mismatched color and a loss of expected bounce in the center of the field. Rothwell said the turf’s design life was about 10 years and that the district is now in roughly its 14th year of use.

The superintendent and committee members confirmed the turf replacement is included in the schools’ early capital planning and, if funded, would be replaced in the summer. Committee members noted the proposed town capital allocation for schools this cycle could be about $1 million but cautioned that remaining district needs — including multiple roof repairs — would compete for that money.

Rothwell also summarized other facilities work underway: a Department of Labor citation prompted installation of eyewash stations in custodial closets where a floor‑stripping chemical is stored; roof leaks at several schools have been patched or are scheduled for bid; HVAC units have required both mechanical repairs and software updates; and the district worked with the public works department to install a French drain at Millbury Street to address icy sidewalks.

Committee members raised financing and scheduling questions. Rothwell described an energy rebate/financing model for LED gym lights in which the district could roll installation payments into utility bills while capturing savings to offset costs; he said some bids (stadium lights, auditorium work) will go out in the coming weeks for summer completion. On the longer term, Rothwell said the district likely will need an override vote and planning for a second turf field to meet community demand.

The committee did not take a formal vote on turf funding; the matter remains part of capital budgeting and subject to the town’s approval processes.