The outdoor athletic complex at Warrenton High School will receive a makeover in upcoming months. Warren County R-III School Board Members voted 6-0 during their monthly meeting on Oct. 14 to approve a bid and move forward with resurfacing of the turf field and surrounding track.

The turf, which was originally installed prior to the 2010 football season, is due for replacement per the maintenance schedule.

“The current turf has exceeded its lifespan,” said Superintendent Dr. Gregg Klinginsmith. “As you go along, the lifespan of turf has a rating system and that measurement determines factors like the density of the turf, which becomes worse each year with use.”

The board accepted a bid for the work in the amount of $622,000 from ATG-Ram Industries. This figure includes new turf with a 10-year warranty and respraying of the track surface.

ATG-Ram provided the lowest of three bids, with the other quotes being $714,993 and $721,000. The expenses have already been budgeted in the district’s long-range capital projects plan.

The replacement of the turf field is scheduled to begin in November, following the completion of fall competitive sports seasons. The anticipated completion date is Jan. 21, 2022, making the facility available for the beginning of spring sports.

“We’re going to be replacing the old turf and putting new in,” said Klinginsmith, who notes the process is not as involved as the original installation. “It’s like replacing old carpet and putting a new layer down.”

Klinginsmith said signs of aging and deterioration are noticeable throughout the turf surface.

“You can definitely see the seams pulling apart and grass growing in it in spots,” said Klinginsmith. “We also have to consider the safety of the athletes with the wear and tear that takes place over time.”

The product supplied by ATG-Ram Industries meets the district’s overall expectation for durability and safety shown by the carpet face weight, fiber type, and GMax rating, which is the industry’s recognized safety impact testing.

The respraying of the track surface will not take place until the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year, to allow for the completion of spring sports. That project is unable to be completed earlier, as it requires specific temperature conditions that cannot be guaranteed during colder months.

“They will need it to be 40 degrees or higher for five consecutive days, and we can’t be certain we’ll have that between now and track season, which pushes us back to the summer after spring sports,” explained Klinginsmith.