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Residents press Great Valley SD on playground equity and high-school parking safety
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Summary
Two residents told the board that Charlestown Elementary’s playgrounds need upgrades and that high-school parking plans and traffic flow are causing tardies and near collisions; board members acknowledged the concerns and noted ongoing safety discussions.
Two community speakers used public comment time at the March 19 meeting to press the district on facilities and safety.
Playground equity: Nick Grock, who gave his address as 461 Conestoga Road in Malvern, urged the board to accelerate playground upgrades at Charlestown Elementary and tied the need to past redistricting decisions. “I think that these new playgrounds probably should have been on the docket a year ago...you are creating a condition...the equity provided to the members of this community is not equitable across the board,” Grock said, arguing that students moved from KDM now attend older facilities and deserve comparable play spaces.
Parking and safety: Sherry Lawrence of Charlestown Township described lengthy backups entering the high school, an incident that nearly caused a head-on collision, and a tardy recorded for her daughter because of a clock discrepancy. She urged clearer communications about parking on Moores Road and called for on-site safety measures such as crossing guards.
Board response: The chair thanked both speakers, and the administration indicated safety meetings were ongoing and that further information might be available by the end of the week.
Why it matters: Playground upgrades and traffic-flow changes affect student safety and equity; residents described operational impacts on families and called for timelier action.
What’s next: The board and administration will continue safety planning and consider facilities prioritization; no formal action or timeline for playground upgrades was announced during the meeting.
