Nampa high schools install new turf fields [Video]

NAMPA, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press. 

High school fields are seeing an upgrade this summer in the Nampa School District, readying them for fall sports.

The district’s three high schools are each having turf installed at their stadiums, replacing the previous grass fields. The combined cost of $1.5 million will be funded by the district’s 2023 levy.

Some community members have questioned the use of funds by a struggling district. Concerns have been voiced after a year of cost-saving measures by the district that have included, among other things, closing four schools. However, the turf installation was already earmarked by the 2023 levy, prior to budget cuts.

“Turf is not for high school football,” Nampa resident Dale Nordstrom Jr. said at a July 16 school board meeting. “I know that it costs a lot of money to do it. So, to …