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North Scott board tables Allen Shepherd playground fencing to gather more safety and access details
Summary
After extensive public comment and debate about safety and community access, the North Scott board voted to table the Allen Shepherd playground fencing proposal until the next meeting to collect law‑enforcement input, 6‑foot bid pricing and gate/egress plans.
The North Scott Community School District board voted to table a proposal to install a perimeter fence around the Allen Shepherd elementary playground after a lengthy discussion about safety tradeoffs and community access.
Joanie Nagel, a Long Grove resident speaking for the Allen Shepherd Fencing Project, asked the board to consider options that would keep the playground usable by neighbors and families. “If you do that at Allen Shepherd, do you have to do it at all the other schools too?” she asked, noting that 35–40 people were using the schoolyard the night of the meeting and that an 8‑foot fence could limit community access.
Administration said the proposal grew from safety assessments — including a recent state of Iowa school safety review and an earlier FEMA check — that flagged unfenced playgrounds as a vulnerability. A facilities representative described the recommended black chain‑link fence and said an 8‑foot height was selected because “it’s harder to climb,” but that the city may require a 6‑foot height and a 6‑foot option had been obtained in earlier quotes.
Board members and residents raised practical concerns about egress and emergency flow. Several trustees said a fenced playground funnels large numbers of students toward a small number of exits during an incident and asked whether gates could be spaced to permit safe evacuation. City staff also raised a snow‑drift concern for an alley adjacent to the site; administrators said the project would include multiple gates (utility gates, larger vehicle gates and at least one public access gate by the main parking lot). The administration said utility gates would be locked but that the primary parking‑lot gate would remain open during public hours.
Citing outstanding questions about gate locations, emergency egress and whether the city ordinance would require a 6‑foot fence, a board member moved — and the board seconded and approved — a motion to table the item until the October meeting. The motion passed by voice vote.
The board directed staff to return with 6‑foot bid pricing, law‑enforcement review of gate placement and an updated layout that addresses weekend and after‑school public access. The fencing discussion will appear again on the board’s agenda as old business in October.
