BRENHAM SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES REPLACEMENT OF CUB STADIUM TURF

  

The turf at Cub Stadium will soon be getting an upgrade.

The Brenham School Board on Monday agreed to a contract with Symmetry AstroTurf for $571,419 to replace the turf and repaint the stripes on the track at the stadium.  The current turf was installed in 2010 with a life expectancy of eight to ten years.  The track was also resurfaced in 2010 and is in good condition, but the stripes are in need of repainting.

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Paul Aschenbeck said there have been over 670 different activities on the current turf over the course of the past 11 years, including football and soccer games, marching contests and graduations.  He said this number did not take into account any practices held at the stadium.  The new turf will have an eight-year warranty, but can last longer with proper care.

Aschenbeck said this proposal includes a pad underneath the turf that will help absorb shocks from impact, which he said should make the playing surface safer for students.  He said the pad has a 25-year warranty and should last through two more turf replacements.

The infill on the turf will not contain rubber, but instead will be a wood fiber called BrockFILL.  Aschenbeck said the new fill would make the field cooler 20 to 40 degrees cooler than a rubber fill.  The infill has a ten-year warranty.

Aschenbeck said Symmetry will perform tests on the turf annually and provide the data to Brenham ISD so it can see how the turf is holding up.

The work on the track will be done before Brenham ISD hosts the district track meet.  Work on the turf cannot begin until the summer because of Blinn football in the spring, so the installation is planned to start after graduation and last for two to three weeks.

Aschenbeck said there is “no way” Cub Stadium could host the amount of activities it does currently with a grass field.  Board Vice President Melvin Ehlert said while the turf is a bigger cost upfront, the district comes out ahead over having a grass surface as long as the turf is taken care of.

Trustees also approved the district’s vision and mission statements, which were developed after a series of workshops held in late 2020.  Superintendent Dr. Tylor Chaplin said as the district went through the planning process, it kept coming back to its current vision and mission statement with one minor change.  The vision statement will remain the same, reading “Brenham Independent School District: a proud community inspiring and encouraging excellence for all.”  The mission statement currently reads, “In collaboration with our families and community, Brenham Independent School District is committed to providing an exceptional education for all students.”  Dr. Chaplin recommended removing the word “providing,” saying that education is a moral objective and the purpose of everyone at Brenham ISD.

Following an executive session, the board approved the restructuring of district positions.  At the end of Aschenbeck’s current contract as Assistant Superintendent of Operations, he will assume the position of Director of Facilities and Maintenance, an area he has overseen as part of his current position.  The board also approved creating the position of Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Service, combining Aschenbeck’s current post with the Director of Student Services position formerly held by Steve Skrla, who retired in December.  The Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Service position will be posted.

In other action after executive session, trustees created the position of Director of Health and Safety, and employed Jamie Woodall in the position.  She will remain Head Athletic Trainer.  The board also employed Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Brandi Hendrix on a two-year administrative contract.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the board:

• Unanimously rejected a motion to consolidate May 1^st polling locations. Trustees felt that reducing the amount of places that citizens can vote would limit their options and potentially deter them from voting, while also making it harder for rural voters to participate.
• Held discussion on pre-bond planning services concerning the future of district facilities. The board moved to authorize the superintendent   to seek statements of qualification for pre-bond planning services from program managers.
• Approved a contract renewal with ESC Region VI to provide the district’s internet service. Trustees also approved the purchase of a Palo Alto Model 5220 internet firewall for $38,905.
• Rescheduled the March meeting date from Monday, March 22^nd to Thursday, March 11^th.
• Approved the addition of Policy DCE (Local) Employment Practices – Other Types of Contracts.