Field Turf Replacing Natural Grass

Three Sacramento-area schools will host their home-openers for the new football season on brand new Field Turf that was paid for with bonds that voters approved two years ago.

The schools say the turf will save millions of gallons of water every year.John F. Kennedy High in the Sacramento City Unified School District has a new field and facilities funded with Measure R Bonds and cost almost $6 million.

In the San Juan Unified District, both Del Campo and El Camino High Schools have new multi-use fields and tracks using Field Turf at a total cost of $6.7 million.

Cici Robinson is the Athletic Director at El Camino.

"Everybody can't wait to come play on the field.  It's all about the pride of the school. And it just being this thing, people looking out over the gates waiting : "When can we come in? When can we run on it? When can we see a game? When's it gonna open?"

San Juan Unified says each field will save about 2 million gallons of water each year and about 70-percent of maintenance costs associated with grass fields.

The new fields are guaranteed for eight years. There are now nine fields that use artificial turf in the San Juan, Sacramento City, and Elk Grove school districts.

The San Juan fields were paid for with Measure N bonds. Kennedy's field is Astroturf and was paid for with Measure R funds. Both measures passed in 2012.