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Parent urges Mars Area SD to restore outdoor recess during construction; board, contractor to revisit safety measures
Summary
A Mars Area Elementary parent asked the board to install Jersey barriers and traffic controls so children can have outdoor recess during ongoing construction; district staff and the contractor said they had discussed barriers but raised concerns about heavy equipment access and snow removal and agreed to continue coordination.
Rebecca Mueller, a parent at Mars Area Elementary, asked the board to restore safe outdoor recess during construction and offered to organize volunteers and low‑cost equipment to keep students active.
"I am a mom of 2 boys...I'm here to peacefully and respectfully ask you to make an effort, and support recess at Mars Area Elementary," Rebecca said, asking the district to install Jersey barriers so students could use nearby baseball fields rather than being kept indoors. She said the barriers already exist on the site and that trucks were not presently impeded by weather; she offered to sign up parent volunteers to supervise recess and to donate small play equipment.
Staff replied they had discussed barriers in construction coordination meetings and raised traffic‑control and snow‑removal concerns; they said barriers alone might not be enough without a designated flagger or traffic monitor when heavy equipment is on site. The district and contractor said they would revisit options at the next construction meeting and try to land a practical solution.
Outcome: District staff committed to continue the safety conversation with the contractor and to return with a plan. Rebecca said she would help organize volunteers and reiterated that parents want children outdoors when weather permits.
