LAUSD athletic fields need to be replaced, and you can help decide turf vs. natural grass

The Los Angeles Unified School District is weighing the future of its artificial turf and natural grass athletic fields. The district is in the midst of a study and collecting feedback from parents, students, staff and other stakeholders.

The outcome of the study, expected this summer, will inform the immediate replacement of seven deteriorated high school athletic fields and future projects.

The vast majority of the district’s turf, from front lawns to baseball fields, is natural grass, Krisztina Tokes, LAUSD’s chief of facilities, told LAist.

The percentage of synthetic turf increases if you isolate the district’s athletic fields — about 20% of the district’s athletic fields are synthetic turf and about 80% are natural grass. The concentration is highest in high schools’ combination soccer/football fields, 40% of which are synthetic.

“Synthetic turf was used at many of those school sites where we anticipated there would be very high use,” Tokes said. For some, the district shared the fields with city and youth sports programs.

Synthetic turf has a higher upfront cost than natural grass but requires less maintenance and water.

In recent years, researchers have raised concerns about the artificial turf’s impact on children’s health and the environment— for example, artificial turf can get hot enough to burn skin.

About a decade ago, LAUSD had to replace seven turf fields at the cost of $8.8 million because of defective materials, including plastic pellets that melted in the heat. The district later recovered $3.6 million from contractors associated with the fields, according to a report from the LAUSD inspector general.

Why this process is starting now

The study is the result of a unanimously adopted November 2025 board resolution that also prohibited the installation of artificial turf at early education centers, elementary and middle schools.

“No 4-year-old, no elementary student should be playing on surfaces hot enough to burn their skin or expose our children to chemicals,” said Rocío Rivas, the board’s vice president, during the meeting.

Student board member Jerry Yang said his peers wrote to him with concerns about artificial turf.

“In a dense, urban city like Los Angeles, where the amount of green space is often a reflection of a community's income level, it is all the more important that we switch away from artificial turf,” Yang said.

Speakers during public comment also called on the district to move away from synthetic turf.

The study will consider four key topics: playability, health and safety, environmental impact and cost and maintenance. The district has also brought on consultants LPA and Core America to help evaluate the fields’ environmental impact, health and safety.

LAUSD isn't the only district weighing the future of its athletic fields.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District recently completed a study that found synthetic turf increases field availability and saves water but that the findings about health and safety are less clear.

Here’s how to weigh in

The district is hosting a series of hybrid meetings and is inviting people to complete an online survey to collect feedback.

Today 

When: 6 p.m.
Where:

• In person at Cleveland High School, 8140 Vanalden Ave., Reseda
• Online

Thursday

When: 6 p.m.
Where:

• In person at Dymally High School, 8800 San Pedro St., South Los Angeles
• Online

May 7 

When: 6 p.m.
Where:

• In person at Los Angeles High School, 4650 W. Olympic Blvd., West Los Angeles
• Online

May 12 

When: 6 p.m.
Where:

• In person at Garfield High School, 5101 E. Sixth St., East Los Angeles. 
• Online