The district 219 Board of Education approved a contract with FieldTurf for a $593, 526.31 turf renewal at the Jan. 26, 2021 board meeting. The renewal is set to take place in the summer of 2021, beginning in July, but an official start date has yet to be reported.

The turf replacement will be focused on the football field, where a field of pre-existing turf already lies. Artificial turf needs to be replaced frequently, and this renewal is the newest replacement necessary.

“The turf will replace the existing turf field as they have a warranty and need to be replaced every 10-15 years,” Niles West Assitant Principal of Operations Steve Parnther said.

Niles West annually holds sports summer camps outdoors on school fields, and the absence of a field may worry athletes, but any camps previously held on the field will be relocated to another grass field located on school grounds.

“Luckily, we have a large outside campus and can have camps on the grass,” Parnther said.

Some students at West were ecstatic to hear about the approval, as it meant the field was going to be nicer and newer than before.

“I was pretty excited when I heard that the field was getting replaced. Not that it’s a terrible field right now, but since it’s going to be newer, it’s going to be a lot better for sports and athletes in general,” sophomore Adis Spahija said.

Other students are happy with the timeline being used, as it is less likely to impact any major sports.

“I’m glad that the replacement is taking place this summer, where it won’t be impacting any sports or other athletics. I’m also happy we’re getting a new field that’s always nice to have,” senior and varsity soccer athlete Ela Kinaci said.

Many students are glad to see any improvements at West, as it impacts the student body no matter what the change may be.

“I’m always happy to see any new changes to the building that make our school nicer. Also a lot of gym classes use the field, so even if you’re not in any sports that would use the field, this could still affect you in that way,” senior Enesa Dibra said.