Do you want Killingly High School to have a turf field?  If so, sign this petition letting the Town Council (TC) know that you support the TC making a one time $300k contribution (money that is being returned to the TC from the 2018/19 BOE budget) towards the turf field project completing all the necessary funding to make this project a reality and have it ready for the fall of 2020.  

BACKGROUND:  

The TC fiscal sub-committe was informed at it's January 21 meeting that the superintendent would be returning $320K to the town from the BOE 2018/19 budget surplus.  The superintendent gave a short presentation on the turf field financial plan and requested that the TC make a one time $300K contribution towards the project. That sub-committee voted unanimously to present that motion to the entire town council at it's March regular meeting. The Town Council voted 4-3 at its monthly meeting on March 10, 2020 to send a motion of appropriating $300k as a one time contribution towards the high school turf field project to a special town meeting that would have happened as part of the April 14 regular TC meeting. That would have meant that any Killingly tax payer attending the meeting that night would have been able to vote on that topic.  In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the governor has issued an executive order limiting the number of people at a gathering (rightfully so by the way!) hence canceling the opportunity for our voices to be heard.  In lieu of that, we have created this petition.

The FACTS:

The turf field project cost $906k to install.  A private citizen has donated $364K in to help start the project with hopes that the BOE and TC would contribute the remaining cost.  At it's Feb 26 Meeting, the BOE approved a contribution of $200K towards the project.  The superintendent has returned $320K of surplus BOE budget money from the 2018/19 school year to the TC per budget regulations and has asked that the TC return $300k of it towards the field (which it did approve at the March 10 Mtg).  Because of the amount of money, our town charter requires such contributions to be approved by a special town meeting.  Now that the special town meeting can not happen due to COVID-19, the town manager is seeking legal counsel to see if the TC can approve the contribution without having to go to special town meeting.  If that is the case, we need to let the TC know that there is overwhelming support for this project and request they move on this issue at their May 12 meeting.  Bottom line is that the $300K TC contribution will result in a ZERO TAX INCREASE - the funds are already there!

BENEFITS (short list, there are many more):

We are currently paying app. $50K per year to use the field for 54 hours total for the ENTIRE YEAR.  A turf field cost app. $3K per year to maintain and can be used for 40+ hours per WEEK!!  A local school with 2 turf fields on campus reports NO annual maintenance costs other than having a maintenance employee sweep the field once per year.  The cost of the machine to do the sweeping is part of the installation price.

A turf field would allow all of our sports teams to play on campus - Football, Boys and Girls Soccer, Field Hockey and Girls Lacrosse.  Field Hockey has played a total of 4 games at New KHS over the last 10 years!  Plus our baseball and softball teams can use the field in the early spring weeks to practice (without metal spikes of course!) prior to their fields being ready.

This upgrade would help make KHS THE PREMIER high school in the northeast, a major attraction for 8th graders looking to make their HS choice (students from Brooklyn, Pomfret and Woodstock can now attend KHS).  3 KHS students from the class of 2020 will be attending Ivy League schools next fall, all 3 are athletes.  A first class facility will help attract more and more high achieving students. Every student from a sending town is $15K in revenue to the town. 

Our Youth teams will now be able to play on a professional level field rather than the current fields that they currently play on (Old KHS) which is in disrepair to say the least.

KHS will now be able to host league and state level playoff games bringing lots of people to Killingly to spend money in OUR town. 

Reduce the cost of transportation that we are currently spending to send teams off campus to practice/play.

Our town and our students need something positive to look forward to.  In our current COVID-19 pandemic, all the news we hear is negative.  Our students are missing what should be the best time in their young lives (no prom, no sports, no school, no end of year activities).  We need something good to happen.  This is a NO TAX INCREASE project that will have a lasting positive impact IMMEDIATELY on our town and students.

NEVER the risk of not being able to host a game due to poor field conditions.  Our field would have been deemed UNPLAYABLE by the state playoff football committee over the last 2 years if we would have been fortunate enough to host a second round state playoff game due to the poor surface conditions of the field.  Instead, we played both games on synthetic turf fields on the road that were in perfect condition.  That could be us!!

SAFETY:

There have been over 600 studies from state health agencies to medical universities to private professional sports leagues on turf fields with crumb rubber fill.  Not one study has come back with a conclusion that turf fields are not safe.  Harvard, Yale, MIT, Trinity College (the list goes on and on) all use/build turf fields due to all of the benefits associated with it.  IT IS SAFE!

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE FIELD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED IN 12-15 YEARS:

The superintendent has set aside an account to have the money in place to replace the field when that time comes.  The money is being generated by a number of sources within the athletic revenue account.  The funds come from fundraisers, sponsorships, gate receipts, athletic assessment fees and more.  No increase in taxes will be needed to replace the field with that time comes, the money will already be sitting in an account.

WHY CAN'T THIS WAIT:

In order for the field to be ready for fall sports in 2020, construction must start no later than June 1.  The construction process is app. 90 days.  Also, the donor has made it very clear that the BOE (which already committed $200K) and the town should all pay their fair share of the project.  While there is not a time limit on the donation at this point, we fear that the donation may be pulled.  We would NEVER secure a donation this amount in the future, that is certain.  Any delay in the project will also result in a construction cost increase, no question about that.  Construction costs go up, they never come down.  When will the town ever get a chance to make a $906K upgrade at a cost of $300K with money they already have WITHOUT A TAX INCREASE?  Never!  NOW IS THE TIME!

PLEASE SIGN:

If you are in favor of the town council committing $300K towards completion of this project being completed should legal counsel rule they can make that decision, please sign this petition.  Any tax payer over the age of 18 residing in Killingly would have been able to vote at the special town meeting but if you are the parent of a student past, present or future and this is important to your decision to attend KHS, sign your name and address.  The donor has done her part, the BOE has done their part, the Town Council needs to do their part!