The proposal has drawn strong reactions from families on both sides.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Parents at one Sacramento elementary school are pushing back against plans to replace a natural grass field with artificial turf, raising concerns about health, safety and environmental impacts.
The debate is centered at Crocker Riverside Elementary School in Land Park, where the Sacramento City Unified School District is proposing to install artificial turf and rubber playground surfaces as part of a campus project.
The proposal has drawn strong reactions from families on both sides.
“This is just bad for kids’ health. It’s bad for the environment. It’s bad for the surrounding community,” said Linda Mar, a Crocker Riverside parent who opposes the plan.
Mar said she became concerned when she first learned about the proposal.
“The bells kind of went off for me,” said Mar.
She started a Change.org petition that has gathered hundreds of signatures and said the timeline has limited meaningful input.
“It’s really late in the process, unfortunately. At least, they are talking to us now,” said Mar.
Some parents argue the concerns about the existing grass field are overstated. Others say they would prefer alternatives to turf altogether.
“Oh, 100%., dirt is great, grass is great,” said Bianca Vargas, a parent at the school.
The backlash prompted the district to host a community meeting Tuesday night, where families voiced concerns about safety, heat and the loss of natural play space. Some parents said they would rather have their children play on dirt than artificial turf.
Still, not all families oppose the plan.
“This is a tough decision. Emotions come out whenever it comes down to kids and schools,” said Peter Zullo, a Crocker Riverside parent who supports the project.
Zullo said the current field presents its own problems.
“Syntenic turf is right sized. The alternative seems pretty scary, which is the current condition of the grass, which kids get injured in all the time I hear,” said Zullo.
He said he believes the decision should be based on available research.
“For me, when I look at the science and look at what scientist have to evaluate on this, it seems like the right decision for this, but it’s not a fashionable decision,” said Zullo.
District officials say the field has been difficult to maintain for years and cite limited resources as a key issue. They also defended artificial turf as a proven option already used at other schools.
“I would have a hard time guaranteeing the community that this is the investment for that dollar amount and that I could make sure that it’ll last for the longevity they would expect it to,” said Chris Ralston, assistant superintendent of facility support services.
Ralston said changing course now would be complex due to approvals, timelines and other ongoing projects.
The district says it is reviewing community feedback and will decide in the coming weeks whether to move forward or pause the project, with a key decision expected by early May.
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