HART SETTING SPORTS GOALS AD HOC PANEL WILL DETERMINE 'WISH LIST'.

Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Artificial turf and football fields were a priority as the Hart school district board took the next step toward improving athletic facilities at its junior high and high school campuses, some of which have fallen into disrepair due to overuse.

The William S. Hart Union High School District board on Wednesday directed administrators to draft principals and athletic directors from the district's four existing high schools to set priorities for the $45 million wish list of upgrades recommended in the 200-page Sports Facilities Master Plan.

``We're shoving a pig through a python,'' said Rory Livingston, assistant superintendent of business services. ``We can't do all nine schools simultaneously.''

So far, the governing board has allocated $10 million toward revamping sports fields to ensure that all campuses have equal facilities. Compliance with Title IX, the federal law requiring equal support for both boys' and girls' athletics, is also at stake.

``We can start whittling down some of these numbers,'' Superintendent Robert Lee said. ``I think we have in mind certain things.''

The board set a December deadline for the committee, when members will offer recommendations for a vote in order to begin design and construction.

``That's lightning speed,'' board member Dennis King said.

But Saugus baseball booster Chris Pate asked the board to consider existing improvements to that school's varsity diamond - mostly done through thousands of dollars of volunteer funds collected over the past 20 years - before implementing large-scale changes such as field relocation.

``As parents, we want to make sure all the efforts we put into the baseball field since 1975 do not go to waste,'' he said.

High on the list of work is the construction of a football stadium at Valencia High. Parents and boosters have pressed the board to tackle the project at recent meetings, saying the district is bound to outgrow the fields at Canyon High School and College of the Canyons with new high schools on the way.

According to consultant James Pickel of Purkiss Rose-RSI, who prepared the report, it will take up to a year to approve and complete a stadium at more than $1.2 million. But some want it a lot sooner.

``I don't understand why we can't put in bleachers now,'' said Rich Quesada, a Valencia football booster. ``What is (there) to study about bleachers?''

But making the choice between reseeding the lawn or installing artificial turf at all campuses is of greater concern for the board, which questioned why a cost and maintenance analysis was not included in the final report. Pickel said he will return with cost comparisons between the two surfaces in about a week.

``There are too many variables,'' board member Steve Sturgeon said. ``There are a lot of community uses. Also, fields need to rest. There are a lot of variables ... whether we use grass or field turf.''

The Hart district has recently expressed interest in artificial turf after entering into a joint maintenance agreement with College of the Canyons to resurface the college's stadium with the material. Hart administrators also were concerned with rising water costs, given the uncertainty with Southern California's potential loss of rights to water from the Colorado River.

The board is considering installing turf on fields that won't be affected by construction associated with the plan. King argued that a spot like a football field would gain use from football, soccer and even band programs.

Eugene Tong, [phone]

eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com