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Johnson County School District approves playground installs and lift-station repairs amid safety concerns
Summary
The school board awarded three contracts — two playground installations and a sanitary lift-station repair — citing safety and major-maintenance funding. The projects total roughly $1.13 million in construction awards and include a $13,398 sewer lift-station job required this summer.
The Johnson County School District #1 Board of Trustees approved contracts on April 13 to replace aging playgrounds and to repair a failing sanitary sewer lift station at Cloud Peak Elementary.
The board awarded Great Western Installation the playground contracts for KC (Casey) at $555,445 and for Cloud Peak Elementary at $563,793.48 after trustees and staff said the existing play surfaces were rotted, wood chips and components had deteriorated, and rust and safety concerns made replacement necessary. "As you look out the window the wood chips are gone. It's rusted. It's rotting," a board member said during discussion, urging an architect-led installation to meet fall-height and ADA standards.
Separately, the board approved a contract with Peak Water Services for a sanitary sewer lift station and lining at Cloud Peak Elementary for $13,398, work planned for completion this summer. Facilities staff explained that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) sewer gas had chemically weakened concrete vaults and joints; the lining and a three-step lining system include a 10-year warranty intended to extend useful life and prevent further decay. Staff described bypass pumping and shutdown procedures to minimize disruption during construction.
Board members stressed the funding source: both playground projects were paid from the district’s major-maintenance allotment, and proceeds from surplus sales (such as a plasma cutter auction the board authorized elsewhere on the agenda) will return to the district, typically to support CTE or maintenance programs. "It will go back into some type of CTE program," one administrator said about sale proceeds.
Trustees asked about life span and warranties; staff said properly installed systems should last 15–20 years and included at least a one-year warranty on installations, with some items carrying longer guarantees.
The board approved the awards by voice vote. Next steps include coordination with the architect for fall-height/ADA compliance, advertising for auction of surplus equipment per district policy, and scheduling construction to align with summer downtime where possible.
