Now that Judge Stephen Schuster has ruled for the CCSD in allowing SPLOST taxpayer money to be spent on Astroturf for area high schools (even the ones that already have turf), I want to see the bands and cheerleaders practicing on the turf. And the Thespian club should be allowed to use it, and the Frisbee golfers. I’d like to see Key club and Interact hold flag football fundraisers on it, and while we’re in this caring, sharing mood, let’s also make sure some of those math classes currently being taught in moldy, sub-standard classroom trailers set up on the taxpayer funded Astroturf as well.

But I won’t hold my breath. Even though Cobb school officials, including principals and coaches, made a big deal out of the fact everyone would benefit from the Astroturf, plenty of people in this county know that was all a big lie.

For example, the week of March 24 a guy named Bob Penner spoke at a meeting of Lassiter booster parents. He represented the Lassiter Endowment Athletic Fund committee and he started off his little talk to parents with disparaging remarks about Pete Borden, the east Cobb man who filed suit to stop the turf expenditure. According sources, he also spoke negatively about the MDJ, but then moved on to say parents should not worry because as soon as the judge freed up the funds the schools would move quickly.

Mr. Penner reported at the meeting that South Cobb schools would get their turf first “for political reasons” but not to worry because East Cobb would be next, and they (the LEAF) planned to spend their fair share “as fast as possible.”

Lassiter, as most readers know, is the school where Superintendent Fred Sanderson was principal for years and where many Glover Street department heads (like the embattled Rick Grisham of Transportation) hail from.

But back to the meeting.

Penner explained to parents that LEAF has a ten year plan. Part of that plan is that since Lassiter already has Astroturf, they’ll install the SPLOST turf on their back field and probably move the lights currently at the football stadium over there, planning for new and better lights at the stadium.

He emphasized they would have to be very selective on who would use the new turf, and gave Harrison High as an example of turf that hasn’t been cared for properly.

“We don’t want to look like Harrison,” Penner tsk tsked, adding that they plan to prevent that tragic possibility by charging people a fee for all activities on the fields.

“We have to PROTECT the turf,” he said, and sources could not believe, after the District made the case in court that every student would have an opportunity to benefit from the turf, they were being told just the opposite.

“We were highly encouraged to keep people from using the field,” this blogger was told.

Which just goes to show, once again, even though so many people thought they won in the deal, it’s just a few people, mainly coaches and elite athletes, who’ll benefit from this outrageous luxury expenditure, the latest in a series of CCSD boondoggles.