Glendale High School’s baseball field will be upgraded with synthetic turf, and the project will allow some of the school's other teams to practice simultaneously.
The Springfield Board of Education on April 23 approved a $1,215,250 contract with St. Louis company Byrne and Jones Construction for the project. Its details call for replacing the natural turf at the high school’s stadium in both the infield and outfield.
About 119,746 square feet of turf will be installed, according to documentation provided to the school board. The outfield will also be marked for football and soccer teams to practice, and the infield will be equipped for baseball and softball games.
The project also includes installing drainage and reinforced concrete skirting, as well as renovation of the bullpens.
The contract was selected through a purchasing cooperative through the Interlocal Purchasing System. Missouri law allows for companies to competitively bid across the entire state for common projects sought by governmental agencies. SPS is using contract No. 23020101 to award the job.
Once the project is done, Glendale with be the first high school in Springfield to have an outfield with synthetic turf. Springfield Public Schools' other high school baseball fields already have synthetic infields.
But those other high schools have something that Glendale does not, said SPS Athletic Director Josh Scott: A secondary grass field. Because Glendale does not have one, the school’s sports teams face scheduling issues. Scott said that all track and field, football and soccer practices are all held at Lowe Stadium, giving limited time for each team to train.
“This was the option in the fall to not only have a backup softball field… but to have more practice opportunities for football and soccer,” Scott said. “This will also allow the turf in our stadium to last longer, because we’re going to be able to disperse the amount of use.”
Board chooses MSBA delegates
The board also chose three members for positions with the Missouri School Boards Association.
Shurita Thomas-Tate was chosen to serve as the board’s representative on the MSBA’s Board of Directors, replacing Scott Crise, whose term expired in early April 2024.
Members of the MSBA’s board of directors help guide the association’s policies and recommendations. Because of Springfield’s size, the district gets an automatic seat on the association’s board.
Kelly Byrne and Judy Brunner were chosen as the SPS delegates, and Maryam Mohammadkhani was selected as an alternate. Delegates represent the school district during MSBA events.
Each pick was made with a 7-0 vote from board members.
The Missouri School Boards Association is a non-profit organization that offers advocacy and guidance to the state’s public schools. While it has no legal authority, it assists boards with setting policies and offers board member training.
