All children, regardless of abilities, need to play and deserve to play together.
That is the driving idea behind a project at Seymour Community School Corp. to create a more inclusive environment for kids.
The district is moving forward with plans to expand and enhance playgrounds at Seymour-Redding and Seymour-Jackson elementary schools and replace an existing playground at Margaret R. Brown Elementary School.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryNew features will focus on sensory and communication needs, socialization, mobility access and overall inclusivity, said Mika Ahlbrand, director of special education.
Adaptive swings, an accessible whirl feature, musical components and shade sails are all options being added.
Besides new pieces of equipment, the project includes the addition of Poured in Place surfacing around portions of the playgrounds. The rubber surfacing is more durable and safer than mulch and allows for better access for students in wheelchairs.
“These playgrounds have been designed with input from our teachers, therapists and administrators who know what our students need,” Ahlbrand said. “The updates will benefit all of our students and really showcases our mission of creating a remarkable learning environment.”
At the Aug. 11 school board meeting, Leslie North Hall with VPS Architecture and Amber Berninger with Midstates Recreation discussed details of the project, including options and a timeline for installation.
Berninger said there is a difference between accessible and inclusive playground equipment.
“Oftentimes, when we think of inclusive, we automatically think of accessibility and we go straight to thinking of mobility devices such as wheelchairs, and while that is obviously very important, when we actually talk about inclusive, we are looking at children who may have sight impairments, hearing impairments or may be on the autism spectrum,” she said.
After the company analyzed the existing equipment and the schools’ needs, it was determined both Jackson and Redding’s main playground structures are in good shape and can be expanded with new features, while Brown’s is too old for add-ons and needs replaced, said Steve Nauman, corporation business manager.
The corporation is paying for the playgrounds through previous bond issues from 2017 and 2019 and has a total budget of $675,000, Nauman said.
“That gives us $225,000 per playground,” he said.
Should the bids come in over budget, Nauman said capital projects funds could be used to make up the difference.
“We aren’t going to scrap the whole project over $5,000,” he said.
The goal is to have the equipment and rubber surface installed this fall before the weather gets too cold.
“If we can’t, then we’ll have to push it back to the spring,” Nauman said.
Because the scope of Brown’s project is bigger, the kindergarten playground will not be replaced at this time, Hall said.
Nauman said playground updates and expansions will be ongoing in the future as money is available and needs arise.
“We want to give our kids and the community the best and safest equipment, so you can expect our playgrounds to get bigger and better,” he said.
All of the school’s playgrounds are manufactured by the same company, Playworld, so only Playworld pieces can be added to the existing structures.
As the sole distributor of Playworld equipment, the Redding and Jackson playground projects will be awarded to Midstates Recreation. Any new structures or additional freestanding equipment added will be bid out to other playground equipment distributors.
Redding Principal Steve Bush said by investing in the playgrounds, the schools are investing in each and every child’s well-being.
“We can’t wait to have our new additions installed and have an outdoor learning space even more inclusive and accessible to all,” he said. “We are grateful to our school board and central office leadership for this opportunity.”