El Dorado Union High School District Superintendent Board of Trustees*

1 2. At Ponderosa high school, the Grand Jury observed two rows of depressions on the football field's surface running the length of the field. These depressions are located near the middle of the field and parallel to the hash marks. The EDUHSD partially disagrees with

The Ponderosa football field was also within specified limits when it was constructed. 4. Roebbelen representatives stated that the standard variance for artificial turf installation is 1/4" to level. Measurements were taken of the football field's depressions and it was found that the west hash mark depression has a variance up to %". The east hash mark depression is slightly less, but still outside of the 1/4" variance in many places. The EDUHSD partially disagrees with

The EDUHSD is not certain what the Roebbelen representatives stated to the grand jury or the context of the statements. The 1/4" specification refers to the tolerance limit of the field base before the Styrofoam cushion (brock) and the synthetic turf is installed on top of the base. It is important to note that there is between 2 ½ to 3 inches of rubber in-fill material that is groomed into the synthetic grass. 5. The Superintendent stated the new field is better than the old grass field and that it would cost too much to fix the depressions. In a follow-up email, the Superintendent wrote that Ponderosa's football field is inspected each year by the artificial turf's company representatives, FieldTurf Company. The FieldTurf Company is aware of the depressions and has indicated that the depressions have not affected the field's warranty. The EDUHSD agrees with

The old field was composed of "tall fescue" grass; a type of playing field surface popularly used on fields nationwide for many years. Fescue is a bunch-grass variety that tends to grow in clumps or bunches, which can leave bare spaces or divots between the clumps if not meticulously managed. Even with careful management, a bunch-grass field is naturally bumpy and the surface is much less regular than the artificial turf fields that Ponderosa and the other district high schools now enjoy. The old grass field at Ponderosa safely hosted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of games despite the divots, despite a high crown that ran down the entire center of the field for drainage purposes and despite the overall drop of more than three feet from one end of the field to the other. The new field is flat and level, without divots or a crown, but with two slight depressions 2 running the length of the field with a variance fluctuating between zero to a maximum of 7/8"inches. The EDUHSD would like to note for the record that officials from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) inspect the field prior to each game - this includes all football games and all boys' and girls' soccer games - and they have noted no safety concerns. In the past, CIF officials have required improvements to EDUHSD fields to meet their standards. Since the artificial turf fields were installed, CIF has approved the fields prior to each game, including the field at Ponderosa. The EDUHSD invited officials from the Northern California Officials Association (NCOA) specifically to inspect the field area in question at Ponderosa and they found it to be in a safe condition. During the initial installation of the synthetic turf, large pieces of turf are sewn together for maximum durability and longevity. In the event of a repair, large sections of the turf would have to be cut, more base rock inserted, and then the turf would have to be glued back together. Experience has shown that glued seams do not work as well and are more likely to come apart than those that are sewn together. The EDUHSD's concern is that making the repairs may end up creating a potentially more hazardous condition than the one it was designed to remedy. Furthermore, each turf section removed and replaced will be visible from the stands and will negatively impact the aesthetics of the playing field. 6. A member of the EDUHSD Board stated that the Board was advised of these depressions only after the initiation of this Grand Jury investigation. However, the Grand Jury learned that the district was notified three years ago about the field's depressions during the installation of artificial turf at Ponderosa's football field. At that time mitigation efforts were undertaken to address depressions that developed in the field's drainage trenches. The mitigation work that was done was to remove the existing crushed rock to a depth of 6" from all drainage trenches and replace it with larger 3/4" crushed angular rock. The construction plans for Ponderosa's football field showed that the drainage trenches are 24" in depth. The EDUHSD partially disagrees with

The EDUHSD and FieldTurf have continued to monitor the Ponderosa field (and the other High School fields) since they were constructed. The CIF also inspects the fields prior to each game. The EDUHSD has no reason to believe there are any safety issues at any of the fields. Therefore, no report to the Board was necessary. During construction, four drainage trenches were built under the Ponderosa field, running its length. As the base and the FieldTurf material were being installed, the contractor noted that the rock in the trenches displaced slightly when heavy equipment drove over the trenches. Remediation efforts were undertaken to correct this displacement issue, which was not a "depression" problem. The top six inches of 3/4" rock in the trenches was replaced with a different type of 3/4" rock, which was more angular and tended to interlock better. The 3/4" rock was covered with smaller rock and experienced no displacement when the base was installed over it. After remediation, the field was within planarity tolerances, with no depressions. 3 7. Ponderosa High School staff indicated that students have tripped while using the field during school hours. The EDUHSD disagrees with

Neither the EDUHSD nor Ponderosa High School administration have received any report of students tripping or any other safety concerns on the field due to any depression or unevenness of the field surface. Student health and safety remain of primary importance to the EDUHSD, and the EDUHSD believes the new field provides a much improved and safer playing surface than the previous grass field. <b>Grand Jury Evaluation of Findings</b> Measure Q bond monies totaling $10,018,000 were spent for the replacement of the track and football fields at the EDUHSD four high schools. Unfortunately, the depressions in the surface of the Ponderosa football field are a constant reminder to the taxpayers that they are paying for a potentially dangerous football field and nothing has been done to make it right. The Grand Jury is concerned about the field's condition, as it presents a significant safety and liability issue to the school district and its taxpayers. As time passes, the depth of these depressions in the football field may increase and create an even larger safety and liability issue. Response to Evaluation of Findings: The EDUHSD strongly disagrees with the Grand Jury's Evaluation of Findings. The EDUHSD has no reason to believe that the "depressions" constitute a safety hazard. The deflection is slight and is spread over a fairly wide area. The EDUHSD is concerned that the Grand Jury would reach such a conclusion without explaining the basis for its finding or the qualifications of those providing this opinion. The EDUHSD has received no reports of any accidents, tripping incidents or any other safety issues associated with the condition of the field surface. In fact, the existing surface is a good deal smoother and more level than the old field and therefore safer than the bunch-grass turf that existed at Ponderosa and the other district high schools for many years. The EDUHSD and FieldTurf have continued to monitor the condition of the fields at all district high schools and the CIF inspects the fields before each game. Representatives of the NCOA inspected the field on April 28, 2014, and reported, "We inspected the field yesterday and we do not believe, at this time, it presents a safety problem. Further, I do not have any records reflecting any safety concern noted by any referee last year (nor am I aware of any referee concerns in the years 2009 to present)." The EDUHSD takes its responsibility for student safety very seriously and has provided some of the safest playing fields in existence for its students. <b>Grand Jury