Elementary Schools: Places for Nature, Not Plastic!

Los Gatos Union School District is renovating 3 elementary schools in Los Gatos: Louise Van Meter, Daves Avenue, and Blossom Hill. Conversion from natural grass to artificial turf is proposed as part of these plans! We need your help to ensure our elementary schools’ play areas are free from plastic!

We appreciate LGUSD staff for recommending all 3 sports fields remain natural grass. However, we do not support staff recommendations asserting artificial turf as safe for use for future school renovations, nor for recommending artificial turf within courtyard and school corridor design plans.

Elementary school play areas are spaces for children to connect with nature and learn about wildlife: watch a robin hunt for earthworms, see a ladybug crawl on a flower, and watch rabbits and geese run across the fields. At the most recent community meeting, many speakers spoke of their children’s love for seeing rabbits and playing with wildflowers at the schools. Artificial turf could take these experiences away from them.

The school design plans will be finalized at the November 18th LGUSD Board meeting at 6:30pm at the district office.

Please email LGUSD staff and the School Board before November 17th to say no to plastic at our elementary schools! You can also attend the Board meeting at the district office (17010 Roberts Rd, Los Gatos) at 6:30pm to provide comments in person.

Please see below for a sample email:

Send to:
Board: boardmembers@lgusd.org
Superintendent Paul Johnson: pjohnson@lgusd.org
Terese McNamee: tmcnamee@lgusd.org

Subject: November 18th Agenda Item: Elementary School Renovations

Dear Superintendent Johnson and Board Trustees,

My name is ________ and I am a resident/community member of Los Gatos. [My children attended LGUSD schools/I attended LGUSD school…]
I appreciate district staff’s recommendation to keep Blossom Hill, Van Meter, and Daves Ave sports field natural grass. I do not support converting the courtyards and corridor areas to artificial turf and ask that they stay natural spaces with native plants. I am also concerned over recommendations that assert that artificial turf would be safe to use for future school renovations.
We have an opportunity to ensure our schools surround children with life - native plant gardens, trees, even lawns - not plastic. School can connect children to the living world outside the classroom and allow them to enjoy and learn through dirt, grass and trees. Access to vegetation and nature, at all scales, is important to the development of children's physical and mental health, senses, curiosity, academics and cognitive ability.
Louise Van Meter, Daves Avenue, and Blossom Hill should all foster healthy learning environments, creative spaces, and a connection to nature for our children. There is a global movement to reduce plastic and reconnect with nature; let’s be a part of the solution, not the problem.
Thank you for your consideration on this pertinent issue,
Your Name