The bulk of Monday’s Board of Education meeting was focused on a turf proposal for the football field at McDowell high school.

 Sales and Estimating Representative Brian Smith from Nolan Thomas and Company gave a presentation to board members about the durability of sports turf and its benefits.

One of the first perks that Smith pointed out was that with sports turf you never have to see the ground beneath it.

“One of the main features people see is the turf itself,” he stated. “When you go to any game, you see the green. What you don’t see is what is underneath that.”

During his presentation, Smith pointed out that the only downside to turf is its ability to hold heat.

“A synthetic system is very durable,” he said. “There’s no restriction on the amount of hours you can put on it. It’s a very usable field. The only reason people will not play on a surface is because it can get hot.”

Titans Head Football Coach Carson Gowan explained why he and many others were in favor of getting the proposed turf.

“Our thinking was simply this: This is the only real football field in McDowell county,” Gowan stated. “We were looking for ways to make it better and more usable, not only for us but for all the other folks who want to use it.”

Gowan also stated that the new turf would give band members and students in physical education a place to practice or play sports during and after school.

Currently, band students at MHS practice their routines in the parking lot of the school because of the natural grass on the football field, which can become easily warn, especially during football season.

The new turf would allow students to practice on the field and maintain the same look year-round.

During Smith’s presentation, Board Member Kay Sinclair asked whether or not the turf would provide more safety for athletes.

Smith stated that over time natural fields that aren’t regularly kept get denser and harder, making them more dangerous.

“If a natural grass field is not maintained, over time it gets harder and harder,” he said. “The one thing I will tell you about a synthetic turf system is it’s more reliable and consistent.  You won’t see it harden up like a natural grass field.”

Board Member Bob Brackett seemed in favor of the change that would give students an opportunity to play and practice on the field.

“We’re basically installing a larger classroom,” said Brackett. “We won’t have to worry about the band practicing on the fields, and we can get the band out of the parking lot and put them where they have marked lines and everything. We have a great band anyway, but this might help them get even better.”

By installing the turf, students from both East and West could arrange to use the field, and other clubs or organizations could make use of the space when needed.

The estimated cost of installing the sports turf is $650,000 and it would have to be replaced every eight to 10 years, with underlying layers needing replacement every 20 years.

Board members did not take any action on this proposal.

Other items discussed during Monday’s meeting:

-- A report from the superintendent search committee

-- A report on the meeting with county commissioners