Los Gatos Unified School District has a site dispute. In other words, there are disputes among parents, staff, and local environmental protection organizations over whether to install artificial turf on the site of the elementary school.

The District Council will discuss the possibility of installing turf at its meeting on November 18, which is usually chosen as a drought-resistant alternative to natural grass. Artificial turf is not new to the town’s schools: in 2015, both Los Gatos and Saratoga high schools received Measure E-funded artificial turf.

The debate took place a few weeks after the city of Millbrae issued a temporary ban on the installation of artificial turf on the grounds that environmental issues may outweigh the effects of drought.

Both the Audubon Society and the Sierra Club oppose the use of artificial turf on elementary school campuses. According to Gladwyn d'Souza, chair of the Conservation Committee of the Loma Prieta branch of the Sierra Club, environmental advocacy groups got involved after a parent in the area contacted the club to see if the club had a position on the issue.

"Our position is that this controversial grass is both poisonous and polluting in the Los Gatos Creek and other watersheds, so we said we would be happy to write to the school district," d'Souza said.

This chapter submitted a letter against artificial grass to the Los Gatos School Board. The letter mentioned environmental issues, such as the use of fossil fuels to produce plastic turf and the possible microplastics and gas pollution caused by fake grass.

The letter said: "The impact of today's decision to continue using plastic will affect our children's attempts to cope with more severe wildfires, droughts and floods."

Opponents also mentioned health issues. According to the Sierra Club, synthetic grass is hotter than natural grass, causing children to overheat and even burn. Many artificial grasses also contain PFAS, known as "eternal chemicals", which has become the main focus of controversy between health and environmental advocates.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has issued guidelines on the potential adverse health effects of artificial turf. Officials warned of potential lead exposure, which affects children under 6 years of age more severely than the elderly.

As the site may generate "dust", the guidelines recommend vigorously washing hands before eating, and even say that users should change their clothes after touching artificial turf to avoid contaminating other surfaces.

Related articles Saratoga community briefing for the week of December 17 Campbell community briefing for the week of December 17 Cupertino community briefing for the week of December 17 Walters: Some California schools are shrinking the results of the Michigan school district The gap, reaching two lawsuits after the US$100 million mass shooting. Susan Tavana is the owner of the Los Gatos Pediatric Dental Clinic. Her three children attend Van Meter Elementary School in Los Gatos. She said that she is open to support or opposition to artificial turf; as a health expert and mother, she is most concerned about the safety of students.

She said that if the school district decides to install turf, it will add some logistical challenges to school staff and volunteers responsible for implementing CDC guidelines. In this case, she added that the school district needs to equip everyone with the tools they need to ensure that children do not ingest or inhale anything that might be harmful.

"As long as the school district's guiding principle is how to ensure the safety of children, I totally agree," Tawana said.

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