A matching program at Hamilton Southeastern Schools has resulted in two new playgrounds being approved – one at Cumberland Road Elementary and the other at Hoosier Road Elementary.
At a Dec. 11 school board meeting, Cumberland Road Principal Will Hurst presented plans and a request for enhancement’s at the school’s playground, including the addition of several new pieces.
The school board approved both requests 7-0.
“Our PTO and our parent community, in general, they have worked tremendously hard within the past year and a half,” Hurst said. “Just in that short amount of time, we’ve been able to put together the matching funds for the playground project. A year ago August, we thought we were still a handful of years away from being able to present this.”
The primary piece is an explorer dome, a feature already in place at Riverside Intermediate School, that will allow more students to be on the playground at once, increasing capacity by approximately 56.
Another enhancement is a new swing set.
“We have a set of swings that is right at 40 years old. We’re excited to be (replacing) that set of swings and (installing) a new, four-bay swing set in place of it,” Hurst said. “One thing that we’re still working toward is being able to add equipment to meet some of the sensory needs and collaboration, so we still have some projects to complete and work toward at Cumberland Road to update our playground to match our beautiful inside that was just completed last year.”
For Hoosier Road Elementary, Principal Jenny Ricketts presented information about a revamping of one of the school’s two playgrounds.
“This is the playground that is along Hoosier Road that is utilized by third and fourth grade each day, our YMCA before- and after-school care, and then our K1 and K2 kids have access to it,” Ricketts said. “We are looking at tearing out and then adding new equipment there. It wouldn’t change the footprint.”
Like Cumberland Road, Ricketts said new equipment will include an explorer dome, a new set of swings and an additional five pieces that are smaller.
The Cumberland Road PTO raised just more than $34,000, and the district will contribute $30,000 for a cost of $64,127. The Hoosier Road PTO raised more than $59,000, and the district will pay $30,000, for a total cost of $89,063.
Both schools’ new playground equipment will be installed in then spring.
