Cost to Replace Turf Field at La Cañada High School (LAUSD) Increases by $113,000

By Mia Alva, Jul 3, 2025 (photo by Mia Alva)

After agreeing to replace the La Cañada High School turf field in November 2024, the La Cañada Unified School District Governing Board recently approved a change order due to an unforeseen condition, increasing the contract by $113,000.

Part of the original agreement with FieldTurf USA was to reuse the existing shock pads that lie beneath the synthetic turf, as they had passed testing that assessed the hardness of the playing surface.
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“It was expected that only approximately 5,000 square feet of the existing shock pads would need to be replaced,” Melissa Shepherd, assistant superintendent of business and operations, said to the board. “After removal of the existing turf, it was discovered that more than 5,000 square feet was needed to be replaced and unusable.”

Since the proposal cost included a $40,000 allowance for unforeseen items, the increase will come out to $73,447 and make the full contract amount $909,258 instead of the original amount of $795,118.

...the district anticipated 20 years of life out of the current shock pads, which didn’t pan out. Shepherd said that certain sections were wearing differently.

These are excerpts, read the full article here.