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Superintendent seeks board backing to pursue 50% grant for playground upgrade
Summary
Echo SD 5 superintendent presented three playground proposals (vendor: Architect's West) with structure costs ranging roughly $84,000–$160,000 and said a grant would cover 50% of structure costs; the district has pledges and ASB funds and will pursue community fundraising to cut the district share.
Superintendent (S2) told the board the district received three proposals from Architect's West to replace the elementary school playground, with structure prices ranging from about $84,000 to $160,000 and a total installed project starting near $100,000 once shipping, tax and installation are included. "They're willing to pay for 50% of any kind of the structure that we wanna put there," S2 said, describing the grant that would cover half the structure price.
S2 said the district already has a $10,000 pledge and about $15,000 available in an older ASB account, and she reported outreach to local foundations that could bring additional funds. "I think we can get about another $50,000 total brought in," she said, estimating the district's net outlay could fall to roughly $50,000. She asked the board for input rather than a formal motion because the expense fits within existing capital funds; board members voiced support and S2 said she would proceed with the grant application and schedule a community display to solicit feedback and donations.
S2 also described installation and safety compliance: the vendor quote includes shipping (~$9,000), tax/fees (~$3,000) and certified installation (~$32,000), and the vendor recommended keeping engineered wood chips for impact absorption. Next steps listed by S2 were formalizing grant applications, continuing outreach to foundations and PTO, and convening a community fundraising group to reduce the district share.
