Ever Upward - Case Study

Introduction

Columbia High School (CHS) still delivers the superior education its alumni received. In May 2007, it was cited in Newsweek as being in the top 5% of high schools in the nation. In the summer of 2007, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine referred to the South Orange-Maplewood Public Schools as the ‘best school system on the planet. ’ These honors are a reflection of many academic accomplishments, such as:

• 91% of CHS graduates go on to college
• CHS students are honored as Rhodes Scholars and merit scholars;
• In the 2006-2007 school year, of 90 Advanced Placement Scholars, 14 students received the highest score on the AP physics test;
• The high school math team placed second in year-long county competitions and 10 middle school students won national awards in the Math Olympiad
• In 2007 CHS students won awards in dance, filmmaking, animation, art, marching band, color guard, photography, chorus, and orchestra. They were invited to exhibit their artwork in galleries in New York City, and accepted into the all-state orchestra, chorus, honors band, and wind ensembles;
• A CHS student publication – the Columbian – won national and state awards for journalism;
• CHS has an award winning food and nutrition program, with arguably the healthiest food served every day to all our students of any school system in the nation;
• CHS has an award winning fitness program with a creative approach to movement of all kinds, for all students.;

CHS also has a long tradition of excellence in sports that continues to inspire pride among students, alumni, and residents. CHS has enjoyed championship and runner-up fencing teams with players who qualified for the Junior Olympics, a boys soccer team that is Iron Hill champion, a Division 3 Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, a varsity baseball team that advanced to the state semi-finals, a girls lacrosse team that qualified for the semi-finals of the state championships, and a boys tennis team that went to the state championships. So it is somewhat paradoxical that the CHS sports facilities are in such a state of disrepair that they serve as an embarrassment for our proud community?

Now entering its 122nd year, Columbia’s halls are filled with the offspring of the many alumni who chose to come back to this area because of the excellent education they received at CHS.

Through the years, Columbia has stayed true to its vow to educate and lead “by thy rules of pride and honor, in our work and play.” The school actively encourages its students to approach life with an explorer’s curiosity and individuality and the spirit and commitment most often associated with athletic endeavor…

To become independent learners, critical thinkers, problem solvers, quality producers, collaborative workers, and responsible contributors to society…to encourage academic and personal excellence and respect for self, for others, and for the educational process.⁴

This educational philosophy has inspired thousands of CHS’ “progeny” to be the best they can be.

Ever Upward (Excelsior)!

This document describes Phase I of a $4.5 million multi-part fundraising campaign to restore the former glory of Columbia’s athletic facilities and renew the pride that students, staff, and the citizens have in our school and our communities, while insuring the safety of our young athletes.

Phase I, which will concentrate on the Underhill Sports and Recreation Complex, is projected to cost $1.7 million, of which $350,000 has already been pledged, to replace the current football playing surface with artificial turf, resurface the track, layout and surface new field event areas, and install state of the art lighting. Ideally, work will begin in the spring of 2008 and be completed by the time school starts in September (see the attached Project Schematic).

The projects to be completed at Underhill are among the most critical repairs and renovations, impacting the largest number of outdoor sports, and thus have been selected as the focus of Phase I. It is the intention of The Columbia High School Alumni Association (CHSAA) to build momentum, confidence, and credibility through this initial phase and thereby position itself to pursue additional work at both the Underhill and Ritzer facilities soon after the completion of Phase I.

The Board of Education is currently in the middle of a $52 million dollar facilities improvement plan focused on renovating the many aging school buildings in the district. As a result, capital outlays for athletic facilities cannot be provided by the Board of Education in the coming years. So, it is up to you, the CHS alumni, parents, and friends to provide Columbia’s athletic teams with the facilities they need and deserve to enable the Underhill complex to once again set the bar for athletic facilities excellence in the same way that CHS sets the bar for academic achievement.

Athletics: The “Glue” of School and Community Pride

Athletics play a central part in American lives. Civic and school pride -- root, root, rooting for the home team, making the wave -- transcends all differences and can be as binding as any religious rite. Having the proper facilities for athletic endeavors contributes to that pride and sense of community. Good athletic facilities are critical for Columbia High School teams to train safely, develop competitive programs, and instill a sense of pride in the students, parents and community members. Good facilities are also necessary to promote healthy recreation programs in Maplewood and South Orange, many of which feed into our high school teams. Conversely, poor facilities and their limiting effect on athletic programs are psychologically and physically detrimental across a wide spectrum.

Project Details

While the growing popularity of high school and youth sports is exciting, the increased demand and the overuse of CHS’ playing fields has left most of these fields in grave states of disrepair. CHSAA is committed to raising the funds necessary to restore the high school’s athletic facilities.

The Phase I initiative for upgrading Columbia’s athletic facilities encompasses bringing the school’s Underhill playing field, which has not been renovated or restored in any significant way over the last several decades, up to state-of-the-art condition. The football field, also used for lacrosse, is in such poor condition, with rampant divots and broad patches of bare ground, that it is a continuous source of frustration and embarrassment for the Columbia teams. The track has reached such a state of disrepair, that no home meets were scheduled during the 2006- 2007 school year. Thus, CHS’ teams are effectively barred from enjoying the strategic and emotional edge of home games/meets.

The poor conditions of Underhill field and its environs have both physical and emotional impact, and a cornucopia of ripple effects…

• Further deterioration of surfaces already in “Mayday” condition from continued overuse
• Rutting and holes that dramatically decrease the quality of practice and game experiences, thus reducing the competitiveness of Columbia's teams
• Poor lighting that severly limits evening use
• Loss of pride and sense of competitiveness among Columbia’s teams
• Limited usage
• Much greater maintenance costs that continue to increase in inverse proportion to field conditions
• Fierce, at times acrimonious competition, among the fields’ potential users for available times limited by the requirements of natural grass surfaces and the poor conditions

Delaying the planned improvements will only result in further deterioration of the fields and the likelihood of serious injuries among its community of users.

Why Artificial Turf

The installation of artificial turf will provide quality field areas that meet the nonstop usage demands by a conglomeration of school and community groups -- Columbia’s two thousand students, plus the residents of Maplewood and South Orange, for high school and community youth football, cheerleading, marching band, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, track, and summer camp programs. Although artificial turf is more expensive to install, and some sports fans have a sentimental attachment to natural grass, the many benefits of synthetic field turf far outweigh the increased cost for installation. Indeed, with fields that are in constant use, synthetic turf is a necessity.

The benefits include, but are not limited to the following:

• Significantly increased safety for the athletes [see A below]
• Decreased maintenance immediately and over time [see B below]
• No divots or rough spots
• Field can be used 24/7 for a wide range of athletic and entertainment events [see C below]
• Unlimited usage and inclement weather do not affect surface consistency
• Faster playing surface with a consistent texture
• Environmentally friendly [see D below]

A. Artificial Turf Safety

In a study conducted by the Amarillo Texas Independent School District ⁵, which during the period 1998-2000 maintained both grass and artificial turf fields, the difference in injury rates and degree of injury was dramatic – over twice as many injuries that were at least twice as severe on grass vs. artificial turf, as shown below:

B. Much Lower Yearly Maintenance

Although there is an approximate $600,000 difference in initial cost, artificial turf affords a huge increase in usage at a much lower cost per use as outlined below:6

Some specialized artificial turf operations may require rented equipment, but in general, maintenance involves only labor to sweep the field, administer periodic wet downs, washing, touch-up painting and re-striping.

The life span of synthetic fields is estimated at 10 years. When the “carpet” does need to be replaced after that life span, the cost would about half of the initial cost because the foundation, base, and drainage system would be re-used.

C. Usage Frequency and Type

Artificial turf fields can be used with unlimited frequency, literally 24/7, for many different sports besides football. These include soccer, field hockey, intra-murals, and lacrosse as well as for non-sports events such as band competitions, concerts, drill teams, and community gatherings. Even with extensive usage and unseasonable inclement weather, synthetic fields remain consistently “ready” for any event. Artificial surfaces don’t become muddy in wet weather and they don’t need to lie fallow to allow recovery time from overuse. Contrast this with natural grass. To maintain natural grass in good condition it is recommended that it be used for no more than 10-15 football games per year plus a maximum of one other function per week. Inclement weather results in increased damage, increased maintenance, and increased injuries, and can put a field out of commission for as long as it takes for it to thoroughly dry out and be repaired.

D. Environmentally Friendly

The biggest environmental advantage of artificial turf is lower water use. Of more personal implications, artificial turf does not require the fertilizers and pesticides that contaminate groundwater, making field conditions safer for children and adults, pets, and wildlife. In addition, many brands of synthetic turf use recycled car tires in their manufacture. It is estimated that the average synthetic football field uses approximately 45,000 recycled tires that would otherwise take up space in a landfill or tire-waste site.

So, while sports purists might prefer to see only natural grass fields, if a field’s long term intended use includes heavy scheduling for diverse usage, a priority on player safety, and a low cost per use factor, artificial turf is clearly the only real choice.

Current Status of Phase I

• The Board of Education has approved CHSAA’s fundraising campaign for the renovation of Columbia’s athletic facilities, starting with the track and field at Underhill.
• CHSAA has a professionally developed Conceptual Master Renovation Plan for both Underhill and Ritzer complexes that was completed in May 2007.
• The movie premiere of GRACIE, in May 2007, produced by Andrew and Elisabeth Shue (both Columbia alumni) inaugurated the funds drive and raised $100,000.
• $350,000 of the projected $1.7 million Phase I goal has already been pledged.
• A fund raising campaign has been launched to solicit the remaining $1,350,000 from individual, foundation and corporate donations.
• South Orange Maplewood Education Foundation (in partnership with CHSAA) is applying for a grant from NIKE to assist with the track renovation.
• Naming opportunities have been designed to provide generous supporters with appropriate recognition for their participation (see attached donor recognition chart and pledge form).

Conclusion

It is imperative we insure that Columbia High School students and community residents have access to sports facilities that are in keeping with the area’s reputation for academic and civic excellence. How can we allow our young athletes to run the risk of injury every time they step on the field? How can our local teams have maximum pride when their opponents continuously ridicule our fields because they are so run down? It is up to us, the CHS Alumni, parents, and friends to rectify this.

Besides all the economic and safety reasons to do so, upgrading the facilities is an essential part of renewing a complete sense of pride among CHS athletic teams and the myriad community members who use the field.

Please get out your checkbooks and think BIG! Time is of the essence. Your generous support to make the proposed Phase I of the Master Plan a reality and a resounding success.

© 2008 Columbia High School Alumni Association.