ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — The Orangeburg County School District broke ground on a new athletic turf field at Edisto High School. They say it's state of the art and it's one of several new projects in the district starting this summer.
“The new look, it brings a new attitude. It brings a new vibe," said head football coach Marcus Livingston.
Livingston is the head football coach at Edisto High School. He says these enhancements indicate a fresh start among his team.
“You got a new coach, got a new principal, everything is new to them. So the last season or the downfalls and everything that went, probably not as well that they wanted it to be last year…everything is new this year," he said.
The grass on the field will be replaced with Astroturf. According to the contractors, the turf has a smoother, more consistent surface than natural grass. It also has a stone base designed to hold water, preventing the turf from forming puddles. The purpose is to make the field feel safer for student athletes.
“When you overtax, or you overplay on a natural grass field of course you get inconsistency from where primarily between the hashes and high-stress areas. Synthetic turf is designed to hold up to those high stress areas," said GEO Surfaces Todd Penley.
The groundbreaking marks the beginning of a series of upgrades to come at six of the district's high schools with each turf field estimated to cost about $900,000 to $1 million. Additional enhancements include new bleachers, scoreboards, weight rooms, and a new rubberized surface installed on the track.
There will also be lighting and sound upgrades to the auditoriums and sports facilities.
Construction begins this summer. Each field is estimated to take eight weeks to complete. The cost of the athletic field upgrades is being included as part of the school district's $190 million bond referendum voted on last November.