Clay County Schools Announce Plans to Replace Turf

Press Release

HAYESVILLE, N.C. — Clay County Schools is excited to announce plans to replace the synthetic turf at Hayesville High School’s multi-use athletic field, an important investment in a facility that serves students, athletes, families, and community members across Clay County.

The current turf was installed in 2012 and has now been in use for approximately 14 years, well beyond its expected 10-year life cycle. The surface is showing deterioration that affects its long-term safety, playability, and viability, making replacement a necessary capital improvement.

“This is an exciting project for our schools and our community, but it is also one we have approached very thoughtfully,” said Clay County Schools Superintendent Melissa Godfrey. “We understand that every investment of public dollars deserves careful consideration, particularly when we are talking about a project of this size. We want our community to understand not only why this work is needed, but how broadly this facility serves Clay County.”

More Than a Football Field

While Friday night football may be the most visible use of the field, the facility serves a much broader purpose. Located in the center of Clay County Schools’ consolidated K–12 campus, it is the only field of its kind in the county and is used throughout the school day and throughout the year.

The field supports physical education, middle school recess, student activities, marching band, cheerleading, middle and high school soccer and football, track and field activities, youth football and cheerleading, Special Olympics, and community events and recreation.

A recent participation summary identified 533 participant spots across programs that regularly use the facility, in addition to its daily use by a district serving over 1,300 students. Clay County’s youth programs are particularly dependent on the facility for game days, with approximately 100 youth football players and 65 youth cheerleaders using the field each season. The Clay County Recreation Department does not operate a separate football field, and more than 40 Special Olympics athletes also benefit from access to the facility.

“This really is a community field,” Godfrey said. “It serves our students and athletic programs, but it also serves our band, youth programs, Special Olympics, families, and community. Replacing the turf is about maintaining a resource that serves people of many ages and interests.”

Funding the Project

Clay County Schools plans to combine several funding sources to complete the project while minimizing the amount of county funding ultimately needed.

The district currently has $300,000 in state funding through the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund (SCIF), appropriated with the support of Senator Kevin Corbin; $270,000 in North Carolina Education Lottery funds designated for school capital needs; and $55,000 in ADM capital funds. ADM, or Average Daily Membership, is the state’s measure of student enrollment, and these particular funds were allocated for eligible school capital needs based on enrollment.

County funding will be used as necessary to cover the remaining project cost once competitive bids are received. Importantly, the county’s contribution will be offset by sales-tax revenue generated through the district’s current school construction project and returned to Clay County.

The district’s goal is to leverage available state and district funds first, limiting the amount of county funding needed for the turf project and preserving as much funding as possible for other significant capital needs.

“We are incredibly grateful to our county commissioners for their partnership and significant commitment to our schools,” Godfrey said. “Their support gives us the flexibility to leverage every funding source available so that local dollars can go as far as possible. We are also extremely grateful to Senator Corbin for his support in bringing additional state resources to Clay County. These partnerships allow us to address an important need while continuing to be thoughtful stewards of public dollars.”

Why Replace the Turf Instead of Returning to Natural Grass?

The district recognizes that some community members may reasonably ask why the field should remain synthetic rather than be converted back to natural grass. The answer is largely tied to the amount and variety of use the field receives.

Natural grass requires recovery time and is more susceptible to limitations related to weather, field conditions, and repeated use. With physical education, recess, band, athletics, youth programs, Special Olympics, and community activities all relying on the same space, returning to natural grass would significantly restrict the field’s availability.

The infrastructure beneath the existing field was also constructed specifically for a synthetic turf system. Converting it to natural grass would require significant work and expense before grass could be established and would introduce ongoing costs for additional maintenance, equipment, mowing, field painting, fertilizer, materials, and staff time.

For a field with this level of use, maintaining a synthetic surface allows the district and community to maximize access while avoiding many of the scheduling and maintenance limitations associated with natural grass.

Next Steps

Clay County Schools plans to put the project out to bid within the next few weeks. The project will include replacement of the turf as well as needed curb repair and replacement around the field. The district is currently using approximately $700,000 as a planning estimate, but a final project cost will not be established until the competitive bidding process is complete.

The district’s goal is to complete installation during the winter months, when no scheduled sport would be impacted. This timeline is intended to minimize disruption to students, athletes, and community programs and have the new surface ready for spring activities.