PLANNING A PLACE FOR ALL TO PLAY

    What do you get when you combine a group of very motivated parent volunteers, a willing superintendent and school board, eager school children and a community happy to give? Well, in the case of Langford Area School, you get a beautiful new school playground. The huge project, that has been in the works for a number of years, is finally coming to fruition in the school district, and parents and school officials alike could not be more pleased. 
    In the last several years, it did not escape the notice of several people that the current playground just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Langford Area Superintendent Shad Storley explained that he has a current teacher who was in first grade when the present equipment was installed. “At this point, it’s over 25 years old,” he noted. 
    Storley also added that just like anything, playground equipment has a lifespan. “With the changes in codes, insurance, and emphasis on accessibility, it was time for a change. You don’t realize all the standards that have to be met when it comes to equipment these days.” 
    The ball got slowly rolling on the project years back when the district’s parents’ group, PAWS (Parents At Work for Success), learned from teachers that kids at recess would regularly have to wait in long lines for swings and other equipment. PAWS organized a pizza sale fundraiser in 2021 that brought in over $3,000 prompting the superintendent at the time, Monte Nipp, to move ahead with selecting a committee that would lead the playground-planning efforts. The original committee dissolved with the changes at  administrative levels. Fall 2022 the school board appointed the current committee that includes Charmayne Cole, Jessica Cole, Fallon Deutsch and Kellie Alberts. This team has worked hand in hand with Superintendent Storley since his hire earlier this year.
    Charmayne emphasizes that even though she didn’t have children in the school system when all this began, she was very motivated, especially when it came to the issue of increasing accessibility. Her daughter Taylor endured a viral brain injury after birth that significantly impacted her gross motor function. “With Taylor integrating into the school around this time, I wanted to make sure I was advocating for appropriate accessibility and inclusion,” Charmayne explained.
    “I came into this project from a caregiver standpoint,” she added, “So I see all the ways our current playground isn’t inclusive to students with atypical gross motor development or even accessible to anyone that needs supportive equipment like gait trainers or wheelchairs.” She points out that the current playground’s pea gravel surface is not ADA compliant and is very difficult to traverse with a wheelchair. The committee and the school would eventually learn that various other aspects of the current playground were not up to standards, including the space around it and equipment in general. 
    Even with a motivated group of parents willing to put in work on the project, it was still a while before much happened. The committee says that at times, it felt like they were spinning their wheels. There were also various administrative and office changes at the school during the last few years that slowed the project.
    The plan got a big shot in the arm last year with a huge fundraiser. Current PAWS President Jessica Cole came across a new fundraising concept, Raise Craze, which turned out to be their biggest fundraiser to date. “The students and staff brought in $51,198 in a month as the students performed over 1,000 Acts of Kindness,” the playground committee explained. 
    The committee also attended every school board meeting for months. This past spring, their perseverance paid off when the school board decided to formally move forward with the project. “We made the decision to say yes as an investment in the future of Langford Area,” said School Board President Jennifer Gustafson. “We knew our current equipment was in need of repair or update. Through conversations and research from the committee, this plan was one that provides for our youth in fun and innovative new ways while also keeping in mind our patrons and budget.”
    What occurred next was a productive back and forth between school officials and the playground committee. Gustafson explained, “They brought us multiple bids and ideas working to find the right combination of ‘what the kids want and a playground needs’ to balance with our ‘what is feasible in the budget’ all combined with the desire to make it accessible to all. It was a really beautiful demonstration of teamwork from all fronts working for a common goal.”
    The committee even included the group that will benefit from the project the most- children! Committee member Jessica Cole explained that they surveyed the kids and asked them what they wanted in their playground. “They wanted a zip line and more swings and slides so they wouldn’t have to wait to use equipment,” she said. 
    The school and committee worked with Midwest Playscapes to design something special that all parties are excited about. The planned playground includes a large playset with multiple features including a huge slide that is eight feet across. There are swings, climbing featuring, and a zipline. 
    Another impressive feature of the project is the large all-season turf field that will be on the west end. A big issue with the current playground is that the entire west side tends to become a mud hole in the spring during the melt, to the point the school has to rope off that area for several weeks. “The new turf field is going to open up a lot of opportunities for our youth athletics department to get more practice time for football and soccer and can also offer an outdoor learning space,” the committee notes. 
    The project also includes a new sidewalk around the area to improve accessibility. All said and done, Superintendent Storley explains that the first phase of the project will cost around $360,000. “We made the decision to finance $318,000 of the project through Midwest Playscapes over three years to ease the pressure on our capital outlay budget.” 
    The PAWS group was proud to be able to donate $70,000 to Phase 1 of the project, a contribution that the superintendent said was integral to making it happen at all. “I don’t know where the project would be without that group and their efforts,” confirmed Storley. “I don’t think this whole project would be happening at this time without them.” 
    Gustafson further praised the committee’s hard work in particular. “Without that committee, the playground is not something we could have tackled last year, and their tremendous assistance made it possible,” she emphasized.
    Phase 1 of the project is already underway with turf work going on currently, and Storley says they hope to complete it by the end of the year. Phase 2 of the project is planned and will include more equipment including parallel bars and a net climber plus a zipline with an accessible seat and ‘cozy cocoons’ that aid in sensory regulation for overstimulation. 
    All involved are happy with the project and what it means for the school and community. “This new playground means increased outdoor learning opportunities, increased play options, safer and more consistent use of outdoor space and it sends a clear message we are here for future generations of youth as well,” stated Gustafson.
    If you’re interested in contributing to the project, the PAWS group is just this week gearing up for another Raise Craze fundraiser. Reach out to Charmayne Cole, PAWS Playground Committee Member and Fundraiser Communications Organizer at [email protected] for more information or visit the PAWS Facebook page. 
    “I am overjoyed when I think of the inclusion that’s going to take place within our playground,” stressed Charmayne. “We can’t wait to see how that will extend through our halls as a diverse group of students with uniquely varying ability levels come to the playground for one common goal- to have some FUN!”