Voters in Marietta’s school district are being asked to approve a bond election on
February 10. The amount of the bond is $3,890,000, and if approved, the proceeds
would be used to make improvements to sports facilities. The bond would not require an
increase in taxes.
A new baseball locker room facility that includes concessions and restrooms would
serve several purposes.
“Our baseball team currently dresses in an old portable building and needs a better
locker room,” explained Superintendent Brandi Naylor. “All other sports except soccer
have a dedicated locker room space. The construction of this facility would also provide
concessions and restrooms for baseball games and could be used for visiting fans at
football games.”
As school facilities now stand, visitors at football games must go around to the home
side of the field for restrooms and concessions. The addition of the locker room,
restrooms, and concession area is expected to carry a price tag of $2.2 million,
including architectural and engineering services, financing, and construction and
installation services.
The baseball facility has been a part of the district’s planning, but due to the financial hit
of the April 2024 tornado, had to be postponed for a time.
“This is something that we have wanted to do and have known we need to do for a
while,” Naylor remarked, “and we’re glad to finally be able to address this need.”
The next part of the project would be the installation of artificial turf on the existing
football field to be used by football and soccer teams, as well as the marching band.
Artificial turf has become widely used in high school football facilities, and for several
reasons.
For one thing, artificial turf stands up to more hours of use without lasting damage to the
surface. For another, turf drains quickly and remains playable after rains, reducing
cancellations and rescheduling. Additionally, artificial turf does not require as much care
as natural turf and provides a more all-purpose surface.
“Installing artificial turf would allow us to use the existing field for football and soccer,
along with other events, without having to worry about damage to the field,” Naylor said,
“and artificial turf eliminates the need for mowing, fertilizing, irrigation, aeration, and re-
sodding, and it saves water.”
Another benefit of artificial turf is that modern turf systems are designed with shock-
absorbing infill and padding to reduce impact and decrease the number of injuries. The
turf installation is projected to cost $1.69 million.
Both of these additions to the schools’ athletic complex are anticipated to improve the
looks and functionality of facilities.
“We want to provide our district’s student athletes with the very best facilities that we
can,” Naylor stated. “And this bond would allow us to continue to improve those facilities
without an increase in taxes. It’s a win for our kids and for our district’s taxpayers.”
According to Naylor, since the new middle/high school has allowed the district to
address all of their classroom and office needs, the next step in long-range facilities
planning for Marietta Public Schools will likely be the construction of a new gymnasium.
However, a project of that magnitude would come with a hefty price tag – likely in
excess of $20 million.
“It’s definitely something that we’re looking at for our district,” Naylor said, “but it will
come a few years down the road.”