Fall is the season of change, and for Milford Elementary School, it’s also the season of some much-needed playground renovations.
A section of the elementary school’s playground had fallen into disrepair—one slide even having a hole in it—and equipment hadn’t been working well, but along with needing to update worn-down equipment, the district administration wanted to make the playground more appealing to the older elementary students.
To accomplish this, the renovations will not only include general quality improvements but also a collection of climbing structures for older students to enjoy. Furthermore, the school wanted to improve accessibility on the playground with an ADA merry-go-round. The school previously added a We-Go swing for students with limited mobility, and superintendent Dr. Mitch Kubicek said the addition has done wonders for students.
“They’re able to play with their peers, and it’s had a really positive impact on our students,” Kubicek said. “One thing we see with our students is that they’re very inclusive of one another, and so we wanted to build a playground that supported that.”
These renovations, though, are not cheap. Between repairs and new equipment, the project will cost an estimated $125,000. Kubicek said Milford Elementary is fortunate to have relationships with community partners like PTO and Kiwanis, both of which put in a lot of work and many hours to help generate as much money for this project as possible. Thanks to these fundraising projects and various donations, the playground renovations will be fully covered.
“Our community is just very supportive of students,” Kubicek said. “This [playground] is something I think our kids are going to be really excited about, so we’ve been very fortunate to have a community that supports these updates. And we’re really grateful for that.”
Kubicek said everything is in place, and now, they’re just waiting for equipment to arrive and get an installation date. The district hopes to have something installed this fall, but at the very latest, updated equipment should be ready by spring.
