Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Schools Playgrounds topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Harrison County elementary representatives ask board to match $64,000 for playground overhaul
Summary
School representatives told the Harrison County Board of Education on Oct. 7 they have raised roughly $64,000 in cash and in-kind donations for a playground replacement and asked the superintendent to place a board match request on the next agenda. Board members said they need a full, final cost estimate before taking action.
Representatives from a Harrison County elementary school asked the Harrison County Board of Education on Oct. 7 to consider matching roughly $64,000 the school has raised toward a playground replacement, highlighting safety and drainage problems they say make the site unsuitable for students.
The presenters described a sloped playground surface that they said causes runoff, washes away pea gravel and wood chips, exposes rocks, and has plastic barriers that cause tripping. They said the project would level the play surface, extend a retaining wall, add steps, replace loose surfacing with wood fiber, and include equipment appropriate for pre-K through fifth grade, including inclusive components for students who are deaf or have other needs.
The presenters said they have raised about $64,000 and secured significant in-kind labor: Berkshire Hathaway-affiliated volunteers and others power-washed and painted existing equipment; Davis Athletics produced the design and will sell the equipment; EQT and Antero each pledged $25,000 and Hope Gas pledged $25,000 (presenters said Hope Gas will do a check presentation Oct. 27); Berkshire Hathaway-related donors pledged $6,000 and volunteered; and the local PTA has earmarked $3,000. Presenters also said some installation and old-equipment removal will be provided in kind by donors, lowering the cash required.
Board members asked several clarifying questions about the total project cost, what the county would be asked to match, and procurement rules. Superintendent Heather Stumpler said the normal process is to place requests like this on a future board agenda so the board can review full documentation. Board members asked the school to provide a complete line‑item budget (including site leveling, privacy fencing, and site prep) before the board commits funds. One board member noted that cooperative purchasing through Davis Athletics may exempt the purchase from a separate public bid process.
The board did not take a vote on funding that night. The superintendent was asked to place the proposal on the next meeting agenda and to provide supplemental materials including a final total cost estimate and line-item budget for the board to review.
"Yes — we're asking for $64,000," one presenter said during the meeting when asked how much the school requested the board match. The presenters repeatedly stressed safety concerns, the desire for inclusive equipment for pre-K through fifth grade, and that several donors had already agreed to volunteer for installation if a certified playground specialist is present.
Board members also discussed that additional elements — leveling the site and adding a privacy fence along Worthington Drive and a church parking lot side — were not included in the quoted equipment price and would raise the total. Presenters said they will continue fundraising for any remaining gap.
The board requested the school return with the requested documentation so members can consider a formal funding decision at a later meeting.
Sources and provenance: the playground presentation and follow-up Q&A at the Oct. 7 Harrison County Board of Education meeting, including remarks by the presenters and superintendent.
