Franklin
Elementary students rally against artificial turf plan at Santa Monica school
Franklin elementary school students marched around their school track recently, chanting "Save Our Grass!" in a protest against plans to replace Franklin Elementary's natural grass field with artificial turf.
The demonstration, organized by a group of second graders, drew students from grades 2-5 who carried homemade signs and wore green to show solidarity. By day's end, 162 Franklin students had signed a petition opposing the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's decision to install synthetic turf as part of a campus modernization plan.
"I don't like artificial turf because it spreads microplastics in the environment which can harm people," said Andrew Brexton, a second-grade organizer. "When I play soccer I get lots of plastic grass stuck to my socks."
The district says the change is necessary because Franklin's undersized campus — about 5.6 acres for roughly 600 students — cannot sustain natural grass under heavy daily use. Officials argue the current field becomes worn to bare dirt and mud, creating an unsafe surface, and that modern synthetic turf can be used year-round.
"Franklin is a very tight site," said Carey Upton, SMMUSD's chief operations officer, explaining that the campus plan aims to optimize space for new transitional kindergarten classrooms and outdoor learning areas.
But students see the issue differently.
"This grass is what we play on every day. It is our job to protect it," said fellow organizer Everett Yao. "The grass is a part of our life. If you take it away, you are taking away our memories."
The protest originated after co-organizer Penny Tin, also a second grader, drew inspiration from another demonstration. Because recess periods overlap at Franklin, the rally continued through multiple grade levels, with fifth graders joining to circulate the petition.
Fifth grader Sophie Klausner said she participated despite leaving for middle school next year. "The turf is still going to be there and still going to be an extra field's worth of plastic in this world," she said.
The student protest comes amid broader community opposition. More than 1,200 people signed an online petition last year urging the district to reconsider, and State Sen. Ben Allen publicly supported efforts to halt the plan. On Jan. 27, the Santa Monica City Council voted 7-0 to prohibit new artificial turf fields on city-owned land.
The SMMUSD Board of Education approved Franklin's campus plan, including the artificial turf field, in May 2025.