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Board reviews $121,487 phase-one plan to make Washington Elementary playground wheelchair accessible
Summary
The board heard a phased plan to add a 60-inch rubberized perimeter path and accessible play pieces at Washington Elementary; phase one was quoted at $118,114 and corrected to $121,487. The education foundation is donating $1,000 toward a piece of equipment.
The Boyertown Area School District board on Thursday reviewed a phased proposal to upgrade Washington Elementary School’s playground to make it accessible to life-skills students who use wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment. Administrators said the initial phase would install a 60-inch-wide rubberized perimeter path and several accessible play components to allow wheelchair users to circulate and use playground devices.
District presenters said the vendor originally quoted phase one at $118,114 but later submitted a corrected proposal of $121,487 to account for pathway calculations, a $3,373 increase. The scope presented includes surfacing, freight, excavation and assembly; the design would allow two wheelchairs to pass on the path and provide access points to five activity areas inside the fenced play area.
The presentation noted the playground upgrade is intended primarily to serve Washington’s regional life-skills program for students in grades K–5; administrators said the district regionalizes life-skills services at Washington and that many of those students require wheelchair-accessible routes out to the play area. Board members pressed for additional detail on later phases — the presenters said no reliable estimate exists yet for phases two and three — and asked whether grant funding beyond a foundation donation had been identified. Administration said the agenda included a $1,000 donation from the district education foundation toward a specific piece of equipment but that no other grant awards had been identified for the project at this time.
Board members also requested follow-up information about the number of wheelchair-dependent students served by the life-skills program; presenters referenced “at least six” in the meeting but said they would provide an exact count and examples of comparable installations at other schools if available. Administration emphasized that approving phase one would not obligate the board to finance later phases and that committee feedback would be used to refine equipment and pathway details before any final contract was authorized.
