There are some HAPPY elementary school kids in Lubbock, TX! Less than a year ago a $198 million bond package was approved for the Lubbock Independent School District. Around $3 million of that money is being used to install new playground equipment at all of the elementary schools, which is making for some very happy kids!
Nine of the playgrounds have been installed so far and the kids are having a ton of fun, as are the residents of nearby neighborhoods.
At Whiteside Elementary they said while the playground was being built "The kids would go outside and watch the workers, and they would just salivate". Luckily, they didn't have long to wait since it only takes about one week to install the equipment.
Prior to this, there was not any playground equipment at any of the schools, so you can imagine how excited the kids are. Now, all the elementary schools will have this equipment.
The equipment is comprised of slides, swings, climbing equipment, a bridge and other fun challenges. For special needs children, there is a concrete circle with activities and toys, including sensory toys.
For the inevitable fall, they have installed a 12" base of an engineered wood fiber chip, designed to provide a softer landing and to prevent injuries when they fall.
The playgrounds are also becoming a gathering place for the neighborhood when school is not in session. The president of the Whiteside PTA said that "It's almost like a block party. The adults talk and the kids play. Everyone is reconnecting again". She said that a PTA fundraiser will pay to add benches for adults and a canopy to shade the special needs area.
While some may worry that this could be a liability issue, the LISD director of communications said that is not the case, since the playground is treated no differently than a city park, when it is being used by the neighborhood.
All in all, this $3 million dollars is being enjoyed by many in the Lubbock area and providing a safe place for kids to play.
Stephen Spillman - photographer
Leonardo Ramos of Walk in the Park, a playground installation company out of Grand Prairie, secures portions of a new playground being installed at Wester Elementary School on Thursday. The recent passage of a bond issue has allowed the Lubbock Independent School District to install playgrounds at all its elementry schools.
Full article by Joe Gulick -Lubbock Avalanche Journal
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