Parkland School District Superintendent Richard Sniscak has asked the board to consider obtaining turf for the district fields used by soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey teams.

"This is a need-to-have item," Sniscak said, at a recent school board meeting. "Parents say Parkland students are at a disadvantage.

"We are the only one of the large schools in the Lehigh Valley without a turf field."

He said stress on the fields intensified when the PIAA moved spring soccer to fall.

"Last year, from Aug. 30 to Nov. 2, we had 36 home games," Sniscak said. "That is a big demand on one field."

After the fall season, the natural grass does not have time to recover before winter sets in, he added.

Because field hockey competitions are played on turf, Parkland athletes have to adjust to the different speed and movement of the ball, which they are accustomed to on grass, Sniscak said.

He said the last update of athletic facilities undertaken by the district was around 2001 for bleachers.

"We are positioned to fund this through our capital reserves account," Sniscak said. "It will not cause a tax increase."

He estimated the cost for turf to be $750,000.

"Typically it lasts about 10 years," he concluded.

At his suggestion, the board voted to contact Alvin H. Butz, Inc. to provide a cost analysis for installing turf in the soccer/track field, including a presentation to the board on the findings.

Sniscak would like to see the project start in spring 2015.