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Board approves inclusive playground at Eisenhower Elementary funded by special education cooperative
Summary
The board approved construction of an accessible playground at Eisenhower Elementary, largely funded by McPherson County special education cooperative ARP/ESSER funds with a roughly $8,000 district contribution; the cooperative committed an additional $50,000 for shade and the PTO is fundraising toward the project.
The McPherson USD 418 Board of Education approved construction of an inclusive playground at Eisenhower Elementary designed to increase accessibility for students who use wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment.
Staff presenters said the life-skills classroom located at Eisenhower serves medically fragile and higher-need special education students and currently lacks a playground surface and equipment that allow full participation. The project scope includes a new main structure with wheelchair access, adaptive play equipment, a large inclusive swing and a resilient turf surface to permit wheelchair movement across the play area.
Funding: staff said about $217,000 from the McPherson County Special Education Cooperative (ARP/ESSER special-education allocation) is earmarked for the project, with roughly $8,000 requested from the district (USD 418) and additional shade funding to be covered by the cooperative. The cooperative committed $50,000 toward a shade structure and Eisenhower PTO has been fundraising toward related project components.
Board members asked about turf lifespan and upkeep; staff said the recommended surface is a playground-grade turf with an expected lifespan of about 10 years. The board discussed disposition of the old playground equipment; staff said they are exploring community reuse options before disposing or storing the removed pieces.
The project was approved by board vote. Staff said the vote will allow the district to set the project in motion and complete the full scope with cooperative and PTO contributions.
Next steps: staff to proceed with procurement and project scheduling so construction can move forward; the approved funding package enables the full project to be executed.
