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Kelly Mill principal, parents ask Forsyth board to allow fundraising for inclusive playground
Summary
Rachel Moiety and partners with nonprofit Hope for Hall asked the Forsyth County Board of Education to allow fundraising and community outreach to build an inclusive playground at Kelly Mill Elementary; the district said the project is operationally approved but any budgetary approval will be considered at the July 30 meeting.
Rachel Moiety, principal of Kelly Mill Elementary, asked the Forsyth County Board of Education on the floor to allow her school and community partners to begin fundraising for a "playground for all" designed for children of all abilities.
"Every child deserves a place to play, belong, and be included," Moiety said, describing the project as school-initiated and saying that approval to move forward would come at no cost to the district and would allow the school to begin community outreach.
Caroline Filcheck, founder of the nonprofit Hope for Hall, told the board her group has led inclusive-playground projects in neighboring districts and is partnering with Forsyth County Schools on a planned Kelly Mill installation. "An inclusive playground goes beyond the standards and it allows children of all abilities to fully immerse themselves in the play experience together," Filcheck said.
Leanne Wright, the Forsyth chapter lead for Hope for Hall and a Kelly Mill parent, described the project through the experience of her daughter Ellie, who uses a wheelchair and for whom the current playground is inaccessible. Wright said the Kelly Mill PTO has committed to purchasing a piece of equipment and that the project team plans to use community fundraising and available tax-credit opportunities to pay for the work.
Board members praised the presentation and clarified the next steps. A board member stated the project "is not an action item" this evening and that operational approvals have been completed, but noted that the budget that would fund construction will be on the agenda for the district's July 30 meeting. "So we're clear sailed," a board member said about the path forward if the budget is approved.
The presenters left the board with a request for permission to begin community outreach and fundraising; board members offered to attend related events and follow up on scheduling.
What happens next: the presenters asked for and received the board's informal support to begin fundraising and outreach; formal budget approval for construction and equipment remains scheduled for the July 30 meeting.
