Key Biscayne wants to spend $625,000 to replace the athletic field turf at MAST Academy on Virginia Key, splitting the $1.25 million project evenly with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. But the district's half could hit a snag: the School Board is weighing whether to pause new artificial turf installations across the county.
The turf replacement is one of eight new initiatives in the village's proposed $56.1 million budget for fiscal year 2026-27, according to the Key Biscayne Portal. Village Manager Steve Williamson and Chief Financial Officer Benjamin Nussbaum will present the spending plan at a community workshop Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m. in the Lighthouse Room at the Key Biscayne Community Center.
The Village Council laid groundwork for the project in June, approving a $2.4 million joint-use agreement with Miami-Dade County for broader MAST Academy field upgrades, according to the Islander News. The $1.25 million turf line item now appearing in the proposed budget covers the synthetic surface replacement specifically.
School Board weighs turf pause
The timing creates uncertainty for MAST families.
In July, more than 100 students, parents and teachers petitioned the School Board to stop laying new artificial turf at schools, citing health and heat concerns. Three board members acknowledged the letter: Joseph Geller of District 3, Luisa Santos of District 9 and Mari Tere Rojas of District 6, who represents Key Biscayne and Coconut Grove.
Geller's office told the Miami Herald in July it was considering drafting a policy to pause new installations while officials assess impacts. The Herald reported Aug. 6 that the board would review artificial turf, weighing health, environmental and lifecycle costs, and pausing new installs where feasible.
"Particularly concerning is the documented heat impact, with synthetic turf surfaces reaching temperatures 48–90°F higher than natural grass fields, posing significant risks to student safety in our already hot climate," Michele Drucker, president of Florida Green Schools, wrote in a July 8 letter to the board.
Whether the proposed pause would apply to a replacement of existing turf, as opposed to a brand-new installation, remains unclear. The School Board is on recess through August and could take up the resolution when it returns in September, the same month Key Biscayne holds formal budget hearings.
What's next
The Aug. 19 workshop gives residents an informal chance to ask questions and recommend priorities before the budget goes to the Village Council for adoption hearings in September. The village's proposed property tax rate of 3.0066 mills represents a 4.2% increase over the current 2.8846 rate, though Mayor Joe Rasco has said he expects the final rate to come down.
MAST Academy families watching the turf project should track both calendars: the village's September budget hearings and the School Board's return from recess, when the turf pause resolution could advance.
