The Knoxville School Board approved a recommendation for the practice field irrigation system at their meeting Monday night.

The board accepted a quote submitted by T & T Sprinkler Service Inc. in the amount of $25,100 for the new practice field irrigation system at the middle school. When going to replace the current practice field, the contractor Boyd Jones made a recommendation to the board that putting in irrigation would improve the quality and longevity of the field. 

Being the only grass practice field the school district has, they want to make sure it is well maintained and watered, which they are hoping to accomplish with the irrigation system. Business Manager Craig Mobley said this will help with watering, especially in the summer months. 

“We do need to take care of that field. Make sure that  it’s well maintained. Adding irrigation into that field, being able to properly water that field whenever we need to, to make sure the grass is well taken care of is going to be a bonus to us and our students that are actually using it. Hopefully in the summer months with the sun bearing down on it, it won’t end up like they’re playing on concrete.”

The goal is to have this project completed in the next two weeks during the regrading and sodding of the practice field.