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Mount Pleasant schools plan water‑sparing steps for athletic fields; district explores turf and fundraising
Summary
School leaders and the football coach said they must keep key fields playable for safety and are pursuing grants, fundraising and possible turf to reduce summer water use; the district is coordinating with city staff on watering schedules and grant applications.
Christie Stratton, principal of Mount Pleasant High School, told the meeting the district is a large seasonal water user and is working to reduce demand while maintaining player safety. "We are a large water user... we are trying our doing our part," Stratton said, noting the district has been pursuing grants and facility improvements but lacks full funding.
Nut graf: School officials said some fields must remain irrigated for safety and liability reasons — the district will prioritize practice, football and soccer fields, seek grant funding and consider turf or phased xeriscaping for nonessential areas to cut summer use.
Coach Dave Peck described field conditions and safety concerns, and raised turf as a water‑saving option. "We do have a $500,000 grant... that's going towards our stadium project," Peck said, adding the full stadium/turf project estimate is roughly $3,000,000 and the district is seeking sponsors and fundraising help. District staff said they are working with the city to ensure watering days for school fields are posted on the municipal website so parents and residents understand why those fields are irrigated when others are not.
Officials detailed how the district is adjusting operations now: separating irrigation runs to water only sections of a field at a time, prioritizing main playing surfaces and converting nonessential landscaping to drought‑tolerant plantings when feasible. They noted a turf conversion would dramatically reduce on‑site irrigation over time but requires a large one‑time investment and maintenance planning.
What the district asked from the public: school leaders asked for community support with fundraising and patience as the district seeks grants and explores options that balance safety, liability and conservation. They said they will coordinate publicly with city staff and the irrigation board to publish precise watering schedules so residents know when school fields will receive irrigation.
The meeting included discussion of some district costs and next steps: district representatives said they are part of an active facilities committee looking at track and field upgrades, continuing fundraising for turf or irrigation upgrades, and pursuing grants for incremental improvements.
