Artificially inflating county, school budgets

Thank goodness for the Nassau Interim Finance Authority. The state fiscal control board that oversees the county budget recently rejected an $8.1 million contract to install artificial-turf fields at Cantiague Park in Hicksville and Bay Park in East Rockaway.

Yes, I am fully aware of the hate mail that I shall receive for writing this, but alas, I must: I have a problem, or three, with artificial turf. Scientists and environmentalists say that heavy metals contained in the thousands of crumb-rubber pellets that keep the turf soft may leech into the water system. Doctors worry that athletes may ingest the pellets when they play.

Mostly, though, the trouble with artificial turf is that it’s expensive. One field can cost $675,000 to $1 million. When you add in engineering and architectural fees, a single field can run upward of $1.2 million. Who has that kind of money these days? Who ever had that kind of money?

Where I live, in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, a small but highly vocal group of parents has demanded artificial-turf fields at the community’s three high schools –– Calhoun, Kennedy and Mepham –– since the mid-2000s. The basic argument has been that many other school districts are installing synthetic-turf fields. If we want our athletes to compete and earn sports scholarships, we need artificial turf.

First, many other districts have not laid down plastic grass. About 25 percent of Nassau County districts have in recent years — too often with state grant money.

Second, I’m sorry, but I don’t buy into the sports scholarship argument. Anyone who understands college sports knows that roughly 4 percent of all high school athletes are recruited to play in college. Less than 2 percent earn scholarships –– mostly partial rides that pay a fraction of tuition, books, room and board, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

High schools are not in the business of getting kids sports scholarships. They educate teenagers.

To my mind, sports play an essential role in a child’s education, teaching young people about teamwork, fair play and goal setting. That’s why my children play three sports each.