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District investigates discolored playground material at West Elementary, awaiting Railroad Commission test results
Summary
Wichita Falls ISD said playground material at West Elementary appeared to contain an oily or stained material after heavy rain; the health department reported no contaminant, and the district is awaiting Railroad Commission soil-sample results before reopening the playground.
Wichita Falls ISD staff reported a recent discovery of discolored material in two playgrounds at West Elementary that prompted soil sampling and agency notifications.
The superintendent described the material as a dark substance pushed up from the subsoil after heavy rains and said staff initially contacted local emergency responders and the Railroad Commission. "We had some wild boars, handicap bars going in, furniture is being moved right now... I took a picture of it horizontally. Now you can see it coming up from the neighborhood," the superintendent said during the meeting. She recounted that the county health department's early lab results found no contaminant of concern, and that district staff were awaiting a separate report from the Railroad Commission.
Nut graf: The district is not allowing children back on the affected playgrounds until Railroad Commission results are in; staff said contractors will replace drainage and mulch as needed once the samples and review are complete.
District staff said the likely cause is wood-fiber playground material (sometimes called wood mulch or wood chips) that migrated into the subsoil and surfaced after the storm. The district also referenced a comparable incident in Oklahoma involving wood-fiber playground material after a storm; staff said work planned this summer includes additional drainage and replacement of the affected mulch.
Ending: The district said it will act on the Railroad Commission report and replace material and drainage as necessary before reopening the playgrounds to students.
