A turf and track replacement project will cost Northern Lehigh School District over $830,000.

On an 8-0 vote, the school board on Monday approved a contract with Keystone Sports Construction for the synthetic turf replacement at a cost of $495,970, and track surface overlay at a cost of $341,779 to be funded through the capital reserve fund.

The cost bundles both the turf and track components into a single project for a total cost of $837,749.

Before the vote, the board reviewed four options for the synthetic turf replacement, before settling on the $495,970 price tag.

Superintendent Dr. Matthew J. Link said the base price for the track is $348,259.

“If we bundle the track and the turf together, we actually get a significant discount of $11,532,” Link said. “Administration strongly recommends that you bundle these two projects together.”

Link said with the deduct the cost goes to $336,728, and added part of that contract is an option to also add in the bond protection at 1.5 percent, which comes out to $5,051, which would bring the track price with the bond protection and also the discount to $341,779.

Director Donna Kulp said she believes that was the way to go.

“I think it needs to be done, and we might as well get the discount while we can,” Kulp said. “They can stage the process.”

Director Gary Fedorcha agreed.

“Doing it all at one time will save time,” Fedorcha said. “Also, the equipment is here just once, so that should be helpful too.”

Matt Mooney, regional sales manager, Keystone Sports Construction, said the project will be completed before the start of the fall sports season.

“We will get them both down prior to the Aug. 1 acclimation,” Mooney said. “Our goal is if we started say right after graduation in mid-June, then our goal certainly would be to be done before Aug. 1.”

Director Joyce Thompson pointed out that the project comes with a warranty.

Link said the project comes with an 8-year on-site warranty, and includes a 10-year maintenance, of which the first two years are free, and then for the remaining eight years, it’s locked in at the district’s current maintenance cost which is about $3,400, which is already discounted to where it’s at, so the district would have it locked in for eight years at the current cost for maintenance, which is two full services a year, plus annual concussion testing.

Director Natalie Snyder asked for assurance that the project won’t affect next year’s budget.

Business manager Sherri Molitioris added that at next month’s school board meeting, there will be a motion to move $3 million out of fund balance into the capital reserve project.

Kulp said she’s confident in the work that Keystone Sports Construction does.

“Hearing what we did about previous jobs that this company has done, I know we’re not familiar with this company, but I feel really comfortable based on what we had heard tonight as far as how they had done another district and how the work went,” Kulp said. “So, I’m looking forward to that.”

Mooney said the company appreciates that.

“We work hard to exceed expectations,” Mooney said. “And we appreciate the opportunity and our confident we will.”

Director Crystal Bilby also praised the company.

“And I think for anyone listening that wasn’t in our previous meetings that we did talk to some of the other districts that they had worked with,” Bilby said. “And they had very high things to say about your company, including Danville, which I have a friend who works there.”

Director Timothy Weaber then made a motion to select Option 4, bundling the turf replacement with the track with the Bulldog at either end with a white NL in the middle with the blue outline, going with Keystone Sports Construction at cost of $495,970 for the field and $341,779 for the track.

Director Angela Williams was absent.