The Eatonville School District approved the purchase and installation of new playground equipment for Weyerhaeuser Elementary at a regular meeting, voting to move forward with a $134,653.38 project funded in part by a $50,000 apportionment from the Pierce County Council and district capital levy reserves.

District staff provided a cost breakdown during the meeting: "The equipment amount for this project would be $57,091.64," and installation was listed at $43,462.92, with wood-fiber surfacing priced at $24,009.15, for a total of $134,653.38, Speaker 1 said. Brandon, the staff member who outlined installation options, said the equipment is designed for children ages 5 to 12 and that "the warranty and everything is still covered, just as long as you build it per plan." Brandon told the board he expects a January delivery if the district orders the equipment immediately and that staff hope to do much of the installation and demolition in-house.

Board members sought safety and installation details. Speaker 2 asked whether a health- or safety-department inspection would occur regardless of who installs the equipment; Brandon confirmed the health department inspects the play structure after installation. The board also discussed surfacing: Brandon explained engineered wood fiber requires roughly 12 inches of depth and filter fabric to prevent migration, making it impractical to simply place the wood fiber over existing pea gravel without raising the playground border.

Speaker 4 said the existing equipment has been wrapped with caution tape and "has been deemed unsafe for student use," citing gaps and loose bolts observed by staff and a health-department representative. Several participants noted the play structure appears original to the school, with recollections placing its installation around 1979.

The board voted by voice; the motion to approve the purchase was recorded in the transcript as moved by "Karen." A board member said, "I'll second," but the record does not clearly identify that second by name. Chair declared the motion carried after an "Aye" vote and no opposition was recorded.

Next steps outlined at the meeting included ordering equipment, scheduling demolition of the old structure, and completing installation once the delivery arrives, likely in January. The meeting adjourned at 08:45.