The rubber infill beneath synthetic turf fields at all five Santa Rosa high school campuses has hardened and clumped prematurely — just seven years into a 10-year warranty — prompting the school board to approve a $5.9 million replacement project funded by Measure C bond money, and a looming lawsuit against the original installer.
Key Takeaways
- All five junior-senior high school campuses — Maria Carrillo, Montgomery, Piner, Elsie Allen, and Santa Rosa High — will have their synthetic turf replaced.
- The $5.9 million project was approved at the March 11 board meeting and is funded by the voter-approved Measure C bond.
- Rubber infill installed by KYA Services, LLC in 2017–2018 has hardened and clumped, creating safety hazards for student athletes.
- Replacement fields will carry 12-year warranties; the district plans to pursue legal action against KYA Services to recover costs.
- Work begins June 6 — the day after graduation — with completion targeted before the August fall sports season.
What went wrong with the fields
When Santa Rosa City Schools installed synthetic turf fields at its five high school campuses between 2017 and 2018, officials expected the surfaces to hold up for at least a decade. All five were contracted through KYA Services, LLC — Maria Carrillo’s field cost roughly $3 million including a new track and press box; Montgomery High’s came in at $2 million; and fields at Piner, Elsie Allen, and Santa Rosa High totaled $5.7 million, bringing the original investment to approximately $10.7 million.
But two years ago, district facilities staff began noticing that the rubber crumb infill — the material packed between synthetic grass blades to cushion impacts — was starting to bond together. Erik Oden, the district’s executive director of facilities, maintenance and operations, described the problem to the board: “The rubber infill that is in the turf, we noticed about two years ago that it was starting to bond together.” Santa Rosa High co-athletic director Kenny Knowlton put it bluntly: “The fill has all kind of crumbled together like mud, it sticks to cleats and there is no longer any bounce. It’s hard. It’s gotten worse over the last few years.”
Bond money on the line — again
The replacement project is drawn from the district’s $398 million Measure C bond — the same fund voters approved to modernize school facilities. The expenditure compounds pressure on a district already facing severe budget strain, including more than 270 employee layoffs approved this year. Infrastructure woes are mounting on multiple fronts: a fault line beneath Proctor Terrace Elementary has placed that school in a separate $70 million rebuild predicament, illustrating how defective and deferred construction issues are piling up across the district.
Trustee Mark Kirby pressed staff at the March 11 meeting: “Obviously we got burned by the warranty on this last field and I just want to make sure that we are going to be good for the full 12-year warranty.” The new fields will carry 12-year warranties. KYA Services, LLC did not respond to requests for comment from the Press Democrat, and the district has stated it intends to pursue legal action to recover costs — though no lawsuit has been filed publicly as of this week.
What to expect this summer and fall
Replacement work is scheduled to begin June 6 — the day after graduation ceremonies — with all five fields targeted for completion before the August start of fall sports. Football, soccer, and other programs that rely on the surfaces may face disruptions to summer practices, and families are advised to check with their school’s athletic department. Montgomery High, which has also been at the center of district legal costs after a record $6.25 million settlement in stabbing lawsuits finalized earlier this month, is among the campuses receiving a new field. Whether the contractor can meet the aggressive timeline remains to be seen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will summer sports at Santa Rosa high schools be disrupted?
The district is aiming to complete all five fields before the August fall sports season, with work beginning June 6. Summer programs scheduled on those fields are likely to face some disruption during construction. Teams and families should contact their school’s athletic department for updated schedules.
Who is paying for this, and will taxpayers get money back?
The $5.9 million replacement is funded through the voter-approved Measure C bond. The district is pursuing legal action against KYA Services, LLC — the original installer — to recoup some or all of the cost. How much taxpayers ultimately recover depends on the outcome of that litigation.
Is the old infill a health hazard?
District officials cited physical safety as the primary concern — the hardened, clumping infill sticks to cleats and creates an unforgiving surface that raises injury risk. According to the Press Democrat, chemical exposure was not cited as a concern driving the replacement. The new fields will use updated materials backed by a 12-year warranty.
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