Negotiations between the regional high school district committee and a group that wants to upgrade and maintain the school playing fields have been fraught with disagreement since June, with key terms of a contract still hanging as of this week.
The high school committee has formally agreed to change tack and pursue a plan to upgrade the playing fields using natural grass. A plan to revamp fields using artificial turf has been postponed indefinitely.
A plan to upgrade the high school playing fields using grass in place of artificial turf hit a snag when school leaders learned that engineering drawings to rebuild the track may not be available as promised.
A controversial plan to revamp the high school playing fields using artificial turf is on hold after a community group unveiled a detailed counter proposal this week to upgrade the fields using all grass instead.
Many Islanders this year have found themselves mired in a debate over the merits of grass versus artificial turf for the high school playing fields. Similar debates have played out across the country.
About 100 people attended a public forum Wednesday to discuss a proposal to create a synthetic turf field as part of the high school's athletic facilities.
