Eagle Point School District 9 staff presented options to replace the high‑school turf field, which they said has reached the end of its expected life cycle. Facilities staff and administrators told the board they have received three quotes clustered near a half‑million dollars and that one vendor, FieldTurf, meets Oregon state bidding arrangements through an existing ESD contract.

Mr. Kovach and district facilities staff said the project could be funded in two ways: community fundraising/donations or using construction reserve funds the district has accumulated. They reported about $2 million in the construction reserve and said replacing the field would use roughly one‑quarter of that reserve. Facilities staff recommended replacing the field this summer using district funds to avoid a multiyear fundraising campaign and to reduce safety and liability risks as the existing turf has exceeded its expected life.

Staff said FieldTurf’s procurement path could allow the district to skip a formal competitive bid process because FieldTurf’s pricing is tied to an ESD contract that satisfies state procurement rules. Board members asked technical questions about the rock base, warranties (staff said FieldTurf typically provides an eight‑year warranty though manufacturers and installers often expect 12–15 years of usable life), and whether grants or community foundations could offset costs. Staff said many grant sources offer smaller gifts and that larger national grants (for example the NFL program discussed previously) are not available in their market.

Board members discussed restricting some community uses, reinstating facility use fees, and carefully managing scheduling to reduce wear and protect the new investment. No formal vote was taken at the work session; staff said they would return with a full package and a recommended contract at the next board meeting if the board signaled concurrence with using reserve funds.