Can the District afford the artificial turf at the high schools?
A. Artificial turf has been installed at both Chaska High and Chanhassen High Schools. It was paid for using referendum dollars specifically approved for capital projects and capital projects alone. The money could not be used for general fund expenditures like salaries or programs. As for why the District took the step of installing the turf in the first place, we view it as a cost-effective way to provide usable field spaces year-round. District athletic fields are not only used for school based programs, like physical education classes, but are also widely used by youth athletic associations and local sport teams. We have experienced increasing pressure for more such spaces and the old fields with regular turf have proven to be unusable for many parts of the year. The soil conditions in our area are such that the sod on those fields is quickly damaged with frequent use. In the case of the football field at Chaska High, for example, we found we could use it only for a dozen or so gam
