Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Facilities Playground topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents urge immediate fixes after Richmond Elementary playground condemned; PTO asks committee to change fundraising policy
Summary
At the Chariho school committee meeting, Richmond PTO president Thea Brennan said a kindergarten playground section was condemned and asked the district either to fund repairs (cited at about $6,000) or to allow PTO fundraising; Superintendent Gina Picard said playgrounds remain a priority and staff are exploring bond, reimbursement and other options.
The Richmond Elementary playground has been declared unsafe in at least one section, Richmond PTO president Thea Brennan told the Chariho Regional School Committee during public forum, and she urged the district to act now.
"Our kindergarten is in need of at least $6,000 in repairs before it is unsafe," Brennan said, asking the committee to either fund the replacement from the district’s fund balance or revise the fundraising policy so the PTO can raise money for an item she said belongs in the budget. Brennan said the PTO was prepared to fundraise but had been advised by district policy that fundraising should not pay for items that "should be included in the school budget." She asked for either a policy waiver or an immediate appropriation.
Superintendent Gina Picard responded that playgrounds for elementary facilities "remain a top priority," but that bond dollars cannot be used for elementary playgrounds and the district must follow stage approvals and state funding formulas. Picard described recent work to secure stage 2 bond approval and said the district will explore reimbursement options that could raise state reimbursement from about 61% to as much as 65% if regional bonuses apply. She said district staff would continue talking with towns and vendors and look for funding or equipment relocations to mitigate the need.
A chair clarified the $6,000 estimate referred to a smaller kindergarten section; a committee member noted a private donor had approached the chair to potentially cover roughly $6,000 and the chair agreed to follow up with the superintendent, noting no promise was made.
What’s next: Committee members agreed to put agenda items on a future meeting to consider policy language and to continue working with town councils and PTOs to identify immediate and longer-term solutions to replace condemned playground equipment. No formal appropriation was adopted at the meeting.
