Board of Ed Gave Students $75,000 to Research Artificial Turf, then Shelved the Report

The Montgomery County Board of Education allocated $75,000 to the MCPS-Student Climate Action Council (SCAC).  

From the SCAC's January 2024 public comment to the Board of Education:  

In our current fiscal year of 2023-2024, we were allocated $75,000 from the Operating Budget. Without delay, the SCAC strategically used this funding to initiate our grants program, establish the climate ambassador program, and start comprehensive policy research. These funds have proven foundational in facilitating our work.

 

The students took their mission seriously.  

They spent 18 months putting together a thoroughly researched Artificial Turfs Report.

What did the Board of Education do with this Report that they paid for?  

Absolutely nothing.  

The Report has never seen the light of day at a Board of Education Business Meeting.  

Superintendent Thomas W. Taylor hasn't mentioned the Report or responded to the SCAC's Recommended Course of Action.  In fact, from Superintendent Taylor's recent MCPS Budget proposals it would appear that Superintendent Taylor couldn't care less about what this MCPS sanctioned and paid for council of students researched and reported.  

The students' full Report is embedded at the end of this post.  But if you don't have time to read the entire Report, take a look at the students' Recommended Course of Action with regard to artificial turf field installations in MCPS.   

And remember how the Board of Education and Superintendent Taylor paid for and then buried this Report the next time you hear the BOE and Taylor applauding the work and advocacy of MCPS students.  

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Recommended Course of Action 

After months of intensive research, the Student Climate Action Council has concluded that artificial turf fields pose a risk to the safety of students and the environment. However, MCPS’ grass fields have poor drainage, causing slippery, muddy conditions and limiting playability. To address this issue, we strongly recommend that Montgomery County Public Schools take the following action: 

1. Designate the following schools as pilots for state-of-the-art natural grass fields: 

a. Wootton High School 

b. Paint Branch High School 

c. Gaithersburg High School 

2. By May 1, 2025, reach out to the Maryland Soccerplex located in Germantown, MD to consult an expert opinion on how to support successful natural grass at a reasonable cost efficiently. 

3. By August 1, 2025, create a comprehensive budget for installing and maintaining high-quality natural grass fields at the above locations. Publish the proposed budget to the MCPS website for a 30-day feedback period. 

4. Include the cost of the pilot fields in the 2026-2027 Capital Improvement Plan. 

5. Include the cost of maintaining the fields in the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year Operating Budget. 

6. Continually evaluate the options for new MCPS fields as the need arises to ensure that the healthiest, safest option is always chosen. 

7. Monitor the quality of MCPS fields by sending a survey to all MCPS high school students every two years, beginning in Fall 2025, with these questions. 

8. Review current MCPS Board of Education policy that favors artificial turf fields over natural grass fields for all high school facilities.  

9. Continue to consider the ideas, conclusions, and input of the Student Climate Action Council in important decisions regarding the use of artificial turf and natural grass in MCPS. 

MCPS Student Climate Action Council Artificial Turfs Report by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland

County school board renews debate over artificial turf vs. grass fields during proposed capital budget review

Six high schools are set to get either new synthetic turf fields or replacement fields as part of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) proposed six-year capital improvements program (CIP), a plan that sparked debate among county school board members Tuesday over whether the district should move forward with turf or explore installing more natural grass fields.  

MCPS Athletics Director Jeffrey Sullivan and Capital Budget and Projects Manager Donald Connelly joined the school board Tuesday to talk about the proposal for fields during a CIP work session at the school board headquarters at 15 W. Gude Drive in Rockville. They discussed the costs, benefits and drawbacks of natural and turf fields as part of the board’s review of the district’s $2.7 billion proposed CIP plan.  

In recent weeks, the board has held several work sessions to review the proposed CIP, and is expected to vote on the proposal during its Nov. 20 business meeting.   

The CIP calls for the district to spend $15 million during fiscal year 2027 for six turf installations or replacements. The amount also includes money for three or four playground replacements...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/2025/11/13/mcps-turf-debate/

Federal judge grants settlement approval in FieldTurf USA lawsuit that included N.J. schools (But Not for MCPS. MCPS Did Not Bother To Participate.)

A federal court judge has given final settlement approval to a proposed class action multi-district lawsuit by plaintiffs in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and California who claimed they were sold defective synthetic field turf by FieldTurf, USA...

...The total settlement value for more than 1,200 class action members nationwide exceeds $50 million in cash and in credits, according to Law.com.

The settlement on Friday allows plaintiffs to each collect cash from the class action or they can claim credits to have FieldTurf install new artificial turf. Each is entitled to $7,500 in cash compensation or $50,000 in credits for new turf, Law.com reported...

https://www.nj.com/middlesex/2024/12/federal-judge-grants-settlement-approval-in-fieldturf-usa-lawsuit-that-included-nj-schools.html

How @mcps hides the purchase of artificial turf football fields in the Operating Budget. @mcps @mocoboe

Where does the money for artificial turf football/soccer/lacrosse fields come from in the MCPS budget?

One might think that artificial turf fields are a capital expense.  But no, MCPS has buried the funding of these stadium fields deep within the Operating Budget.  That means that teacher salaries and classroom supplies are competing with artificial turf for Operating Budget funds.  

How do we know this?  Well we certainly did not find this out by reading the MCPS Operating Budget.  The MCPS Operating Budget makes no mention of the millions spent on artificial turf fields.  Look for yourself.  

In 2018, the Parents' Coalition asked the Superintendent to explain his reference to something called the Artificial Turf Field Program.  Sounds official, doesn't it?  Yet, it is no where to be found in the actual MCPS budgets.  

The answer was that the funds used for artificial turf stadiums are buried in the MCPS Real Estate Management Fund.  See page 21 of the Operating Budget.  The MCPS Real Estate Management Fund is supported by "multiple revenue sources."  

That means that MCPS has money coming in from the rental of buildings, classrooms, cell towers, FIELD TRIPS... and SOMEONE has privately decided that those funds should be automatically diverted to the purchase of artificial turf stadiums and not used to support teachers or classrooms.  

Who made that decision? When was the decision made? 

Field Trips?  Yes, you read that correctly.  Field Trip fees helped pay for artificial turf stadiums.   

Next time you hear about MCPS spending restrictions or budget cuts see if any mention is made of the millions being secretly diverted to pay for this capital expense using operating budget funds.  

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Email detailing source of artificial turf purchase below. 

Note that the appropriation documents that were requested were NOT supplied. 

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 Zuckerman, Andrew <Andrew_Zuckerman@mcpsmd.org>

To:​You​

Mon 7/23/2018 9:34 PM

Dear Ms. Sartucci,

 

Thank you for your email inquiring about the replacement of the artificial turf field at Richard Montgomery High School.  As you note, the Board of Education approved the award of contract for this project at the June 25, 2018, meeting.

 

The Real Estate Management Fund is a self-supporting entrepreneurial fund that manages several property related activities that involve external revenue.  One of these activities is the artificial turf program.  Multiple revenue sources support the activities within the Real Estate Management Fund, such as revenues from lease rentals, and each is accounted for individually within the larger fund.  For the artificial turf program fund, revenues are collected from sources including partnership agreements and fees from Community Use of Public Facilities.  These artificial turf related revenues are used to support artificial turf field replacement, such as at Richard Montgomery High School. 

 

Expenditures for the Real Estate Management Fund are appropriated annually by the County Council as part of the operating budget, as is the case with other entrepreneurial funds.  In the FY19 budget, the Real Estate Management Fund has a total appropriation of $3.953 million.  The $562,721 expenditure for the replacement of the Richard Montgomery High School artificial turf field is supported within this appropriation.

 

In the final approved FY19 operating budget document, the appropriation amount for the Real Estate Management Fund can be found on page 7-16. A program description of the Real Estate Management Fund can be found in the Superintendent’s Recommended FY19 Operating Budget on page 7-14.  Both of these documents can be accessed on the MCPS website at the following link:

 

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/

 

Detail on the artificial turf program fund has been provided to the County Council during budget deliberations.  At this time, revenues in the artificial turf program fund have resulted in a current fund balance of approximately $2.2 million.    

 

Thank you,

 

Andrew Zuckerman

Chief Operating Officer

Montgomery County Public Schools

 

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Dear Superintendent Smith,

At the June 25, 2018, Board of Education meeting you presented a Memorandum that requested approval for Award of Contract—Replacement of Artificial Turf Field at Richard Montgomery High School.

https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/AZUHSB49CE62/$file/Award%20Cont%20Replace%20Turf%20Richard%20Montgomery%20HS.pdf

In your Memorandum you state:  

WHEREAS, The funds are available in the Artificial Turf Field Program;

At the Board of Education meeting, Mr. Zuckerman stated that the funding appropriation for this expenditure had already been obtained from the County Council. 

Please provide a copy of the appropriation documents that support his statement.  

In addition, please provide the budget documents that detail the funds currently in the Artificial Turf Field Program.  A link to the page of the MCPS Operating Budget where these funds are detailed would be a helpful response.

Thank you for your assistance.

Janis Zink Sartucci

Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, MD

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Photo credit

Turf debate heats up again ahead of Ravens-Titans game at Tottenham Stadium: ‘Just look at the results’

LONDON — Odell Beckham Jr. is not a fan of artificial turf.

Last December, in the wake of New York Giants veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepherd suffering a torn ACL in a game against the Dallas Cowboys, Beckham took to social media to blast the MetLife Stadium playing surface. “Just get rid of it all the [expletive] bro,” Beckham tweeted in response to a video of the noncontact injury. “Billions made off this game I can’t understand why we can’t play on grass.”

Beckham knows the field well. As a member of the Giants in 2017, he suffered a season-ending broken ankle there in a game against the Chargers when his leg got twisted with that of defensive back Casey Hayward. Ever since, the star wide receiver has had issues with the ankle, including each of the past few weeks after tweaking it in the Ravens’ win over the Bengals in Cincinnati, which also plays on a synthetic surface...

Turf debate heats up again ahead of Ravens-Titans game at Tottenham Stadium: ‘Just look at the results’ (baltimoresun.com)

Breaking: Gaithersburg High School Field "will cause death" at center of field. Handy Pocket Guide for Athletes!

 

Handy Pocket Guide of Where Not to Fall on the Gaithersburg High School Artificial Turf Field to avoid death. Download or Print & Save.

A student falling on the Gaithersburg High School artificial turf football/soccer/lacrosse field is no longer falling on a soft, bouncy surface.  A player on this field is now falling on a surface that is very hard and can cause severe injury or even death based on the hardness of that field as of the recent testing. The 50 yard line area is now in the "will cause death" level of hardness.  

But we know that Montgomery County Public Schools will continue to use this field for another 9 years because the "plan" is that each artificial turf field must last for 20 years.  As that is the "plan," we have developed a handy pocket guide for student athletes using the Gaithersburg High School artificial turf field. 

This handy pocket guide should be given to football, lacrosse and soccer players at Gaithersburg High School and at all of the schools (public and private) that will play against Gaithersburg High School on this field or use this field.  

We know the Board of Education cannot be bothered to deal with student safety, they have a MABE Annapolis vacation coming up to pack for! So, we are doing our part for MCPS student athletes.  Print out this handy pocket guide and tell your student athlete to enjoy their next game at Gaithersburg High School, but to just not fall down on the part of the field marked with a red X or any other part of this field.  This field is way beyond the recommended hardness of an artificial turf field. 

Have fun!  

All Together Now! Don't Kill Yourself on the 50 Yard Line at Gaithersburg High School!

KEYSSC Gaithersburg July GMAX Report by Parents' Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland on Scribd

WSSC Water files lawsuit over 'forever chemicals'

The Montgomery County Board of Education and Montgomery County Council LOVE PFAS chemicals found in artificial turf football fields!  They can't get enough of them and are about to put down another plastic sheet at the new Woodward High School in Bethesda.  

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - Maryland’s largest water provider is suing a number of companies, alleging they are polluting the water supply with toxins. 

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's water serves almost two million people in Montgomery and Prince George's County.

 https://www.fox5dc.com/news/wssc-water-files-lawsuit-over-forever-chemicals

 

The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments

 Highlights

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  The presence of artificial turf fibers was specifically investigated in river and sea surface waters.

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  Artificial turf fibers accounted for up to 15% of meso- and macroplastic abundance.

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  Artificial turf fibers were composed of polyethylene (86.3%) and polypropylene (13.7%).

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  Up to 20,000 fibers day−1 and 213,200 fibers km−2 were found in river and sea surface waters.

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  Riverine flux of artificial turf fibers was positively related to rainfall.

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• The dark side of artificial greening: Plastic turfs as widespread pollutants of aquatic environments - ScienceDirect

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Board of Education and County Council Put Massive Sheet of Plastic over Field at New High School. #heatisland #plastic

Concerned about global warming?  That's not a concern here in Montgomery County, Maryland. 

The Montgomery County Board of Education and the Montgomery County Council have finalized their plan to put down a massive sheet of plastic on the playing field at the new high school under construction on Old Georgetown Road. The Board of Education and the Montgomery County Council have made a choice to cover the ground with plastic and create a heat island.  

You can see the size of the giant sheet of plastic in this image from the Mandatory Referral documents filed with the Montgomery County Planning Board. 

The big purple oval shown in the image below is the massive sheet of plastic that will be installed at the Woodward High School construction site. 

The green areas on this image are the parts of the site that will be grass and dirt. 

For athletes, new turf infill means old problems "...it’s still slippery..." "...artificial surface will continue to resemble slippery concrete more than than natural grass..."

 

Four years, two field closures and one infill replacement later, athletes remain worried that the turf poses a danger to their safety and their athletic careers.

MARCH 24, 2023

In May of 2018, the Montgomery County Board of Education voted seven to one to approve the installation of a $1.3 million turf field at Whitman, despite controversy surrounding its infill material, ZeoFill. At the time, community members expressed concern about the lack of publicly available research on ZeoFill’s safety and durability.

Four years, two field closures and one infill replacement later, athletes remain worried that the turf poses a danger to their safety and their athletic careers.

Last year’s closures and subsequent infill replacement brought hope that the slipperiness, drainage problems and dust clouds that had come to define the artificial field would finally subside. However, some still feel that the field remains unsafe for play.

Since April 2022, Whitman’s athletes have played on BrockFill, a wood particle-based infill that is engineered to provide greater traction, durability and drainage than its competitors. The school district installed BrockFill after officials determined that the field was failing to adequately drain after rainfall. However, according to varsity football player Talan Penberthy, a junior, BrockFill hasn’t proved itself a satisfactory replacement. 

For Penberthy, the engineered wood particles beneath the playing surface are uncomfortable during physically-involved games and practices when the team is commonly on the ground.

“When I first fell, my elbow turned to shreds,” Penberthy said. “The way my cleat would dig into the turf felt off compared to other turf.”..

DC playground closed due to lead contamination

DCPS closed the playground at Parkview Rec Center near Bruce-Monroe Elementary after elevated levels of lead were found in tests of runoff water.

WASHINGTON — A D.C. rec center playground used by a nearby elementary school was closed Thursday after elevated levels of lead were discovered. 

In an email, DC Public Schools alerted parents that one of the playgrounds at Parkview Rec Center tested high for lead and it had been closed. The playground, attached to Bruce-Monroe Elementary School, sits on rubber mats...

'Forever chemicals': Poolesville's drinking water contaminated #artificialturf #crumbrubber

The town closed off two wells while testing determines the source of PFOS and PFOA chemicals.

POOLESVILLE, Md. — Caroline Taylor worked for years leading the environmental group Montgomery Countryside Alliance to keep drinking water safe. She was one of around 6,000 Poolesville residents who got a warning earlier in December from town management that drinking water was contaminated with two toxins.

"Many of us worked so hard in the 1990s to get protected by the federal government as a sole source aquifer," said Taylor. And at the time, the water was tested to be high quality. So we were so proud of this. And so protective of it and to find "forever chemicals,' perhaps tainting it and making it dangerous. It's tough."..

Poolesville's drinking water contaminated by 'forever chemicals' | wusa9.com