TAMPA, Fla. —  The Hillsborough County Public Schools is in the middle of a years-long project to install artificial turf at its area high schools.

The artificial turf fields can cost the district up to $2 million each but have a life expectancy of 12 to 14 years and feature much easier and lower maintenance costs.

Jefferson High School is the latest to open a new artificial turf field.

Principal Jennifer Kennedy says the field is safer for student athletes than a grass field, and artificial turf can hold up to the high-foot traffic high schools often have on their fields.

“It was so hard to maintain our field previously because of just the high amount of time not was used," Kennedy said. "So, it was in constant use and it was very difficult to maintain. So, this doesn’t require the same maintenance, and it is so much easier for our faculty and staff to take care of it, our custodians to take care of it, our students to take care of it.”

Jefferson also had a new track built at the same time its football field was converted to artificial turf.

The district plans to continue work converting fields to artificial turf through 2028.

The school board will next discuss the installation of artificial turf fields at East Bay, Riverview and King high schools.