Parents ask to delay playground RFP; board approves 50/50 match for recycled rubber surfacing grant
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Summary
Inclusive Playground Committee asked the board to delay awarding playground equipment RFPs to allow student and parent review; the board voted to table the RFP and to commit to a 50/50 match for a recycled rubber surfacing grant to supplement the previously approved $100,000 allocation.
Celeste Hoynes, chair of the Inclusive Playground Committee, urged the board to delay awarding the RFP for playground equipment so students and parents can review vendor proposals and ensure accessible equipment is chosen. She told the board the committee preferred a piece of equipment that allows group play and asked that students have input before the board decides which vendor to award.
The superintendent noted the district has earmarked $1,000,000 in the proposed bond for playgrounds, and recommended tabling the RFP to develop a more comprehensive plan that could be included with the bond if voters approve it in March. Board members debated timing and fairness to students who have waited for accessible equipment for several years.
A motion to table the playground RFP and reengage the committee in February passed 6–1. Separately, the board approved a motion to commit to a 50/50 match on a recycled rubber surfacing grant for the playground, a motion that passed unanimously 7–0, authorizing staff to submit the grant application and, if awarded, to use district matching funds.