Leon County School District fails the community: The truth behind synthetic football fields

Dec 13, 2023

The Leon County School District has deceived its residents. Over the past three to four years, the school district has systematically replaced natural grass turfs with synthetic million-dollar football fields. These fields were touted to the public as cost-effective, promising reduced maintenance expenses.

However, I strongly believe this to be an untruth that warrants an immediate audit. To make matters worse, once these fields were constructed, the track and fields were locked down, denying public access.

When plans for these extravagant football fields were unveiled, the closure of the track and fields to the public was conveniently omitted. Instead, the school board approved substantial funding for additional fencing, specifically intended to keep taxpayers out. They understood locking us out would be necessary to safeguard their vanity projects. Had we known that granting approval would result in losing access to these community assets, we would never have consented.

I urge readers to visit these high schools, observe the excessive fencing, and realize that it has little to do with security. In fact, principals selectively distribute keys, restricting access to only a chosen few. The decision of who can enter and exit should be inclusive, rather than dictated by a select group.

Many of us rely on the track and fields as a free, convenient, and safe place to exercise. Senior citizens value it for its joint-friendly attributes, while young entrepreneurs, such as personal trainers, utilize the space to build their client base. Fitness enthusiasts, like myself, appreciate the track as a refreshing change of scenery. However, we have been robbed of these benefits by athletic directors and principals who were charmed by persuasive carpet salesmen.

Not only are the taxpayers locked out, but our own student-athletes are denied access to their own facilities for additional practice. I have personally witnessed Leon's student-athletes forced to use Godby's track because they couldn't obtain access to their own fields.

Furthermore, many of our student-athletes despise synthetic turf. Not only does it lead to increased injuries, but there are published reports that it also poses risks of cancer and contributes to microplastic pollution in our water supply. In fact, the city of Boston has even banned the use of synthetic turf. So, why did we construct these fields in the first place? The answer is clear: they are vanity projects that disregard the best interests of the taxpayers, depriving us of community assets while ignoring the genuine risks posed to our athletes.

Let us not forget that we, as taxpayers, contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of these tracks and fields through our property taxes, granting us the right to shared usage. It is our right to enjoy these facilities.

To express my discontent and rally for change, I have initiated a petition on change.org to reopen the track and fields to the public. I encourage the student-athletes in our area to launch their own petition, calling for the removal of these ill-conceived synthetic fields.

It is time for the Leon County School District to rectify this injustice and prioritize the well-being of the community. We deserve transparency, accountability, and access to the facilities we helped fund. It is time to reclaim what is rightfully ours.

Marc Anthony Weeks (PMP) is a fitness and sports enthusiast who has lived in Tallahassee for 32 years and run on the tracks in our area for 25 years. The link to the change.org petition is https://www.change.org/p/re-open-leon-county-track-fields-to-the-public.

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