Owen J. Roberts board delays turf-and-track vote after student raises health and environmental concerns

The Owen J. Roberts Board of School Directors on March 23 postponed a scheduled vote on a construction agreement to replace three synthetic turf athletic fields and the district running track after a public commenter — a student — presented research raising health and environmental concerns about rubber infill.

Student Robin Namcheck, a South Coventry Township resident and OJR Middle School student-athlete, said in public comment that two science-fair projects she conducted found that water extracts from rubber infill harmed pea-plant growth and that laboratory testing identified heavy metals such as zinc and copper and volatile organic compounds, including formaldehyde, off-gassing from rubber at elevated temperatures. She asked the board to consider alternative infill materials, including coconut, cork and sand, and offered to provide her presentations for the board’s review.

The board had planned to approve a contract with Keystone Sports Construction, submitted as the lowest responsible bidder to meet the bid specifications including rubber infill. Members and staff debated whether the district could or should change bid specifications at this stage, whether a change order could substitute a different infill without rebidding, and how rebidding would affect the project timeline. Officials repeatedly noted the project is scheduled for installation this summer and that the district’s current turf is at the end of its useful life.

District staff and several board members said construction change orders are common but that altering specifications after a formal bid can trigger fairness and procurement concerns and could require advertising a new bid, which typically takes weeks and could delay installation beyond the summer window. Board members also noted that some alternative infills (cork, coconut, specialized “envirofill”) are more expensive than recycled rubber or sand, and that vendors and the construction solicitor should be asked whether substitution could be done by change order and what cost or schedule impacts would follow.

Rather than vote on the contract, the board approved a motion to postpone the vote and seek immediate follow-up: contact Keystone and the district construction solicitor for options and costs, gather more information on the specific materials proposed and any relevant safety testing, and call a special single-item voting meeting within two weeks (or consider the April 6 working session if the information is ready). The board chair reported the postponement vote carried with a 6–2 count (reported on the record during the meeting).

Why it matters: The decision pits two practical concerns against each other — athlete and user safety from an aging playing surface, and community worry about potential health or environmental impacts of the material used as infill. The board signaled it will review vendor documentation, legal advice and additional data before making a final procurement decision, aiming to balance safety, procurement law, cost and schedule.

What’s next: The district will contact the vendor and the construction solicitor for written options and cost estimates; the board plans a special advertised voting meeting for the item once information is received, or it may consider the item at the April 6 working session if documentation is ready.