Board plays with idea of getting new playground equipment

WAUSA —Wausa Public Schools is playing around with the idea of possibly updating its playground equipment.

Superintendent Brad Hoesing discussed potential playground upgrades with the school district’s board of education at its Dec. 13 monthly meeting.

He recalled that board members had asked him to look into getting information from businesses that handle and install playground equipment.

“I’m starting to kind of get some things rolled in for our playground,” Hoesing said. “There are some different things we can move in and move out.”

He shared two price quotes he received from Crouch Recreation of Omaha:

-$97,000, which includes full installation of the playground equipment.

-$85,520, which does not include full installation.

On the cheaper of the two costs, Hoesing said, “They’ll have someone there to help tell you how to put it in, but you basically get the workers to install it.”

He wanted input from board members about what direction to take in possibly pursuing new playground equipment.

Hoesing brought up funding such a project, such as whether the school district uses its own money or finds other potential financial resources, such as donations and grants.

“We do need to get something done,” he said. “We do have to get something put in there. We need to have something for those little kiddos.”

Board president Mike Kumm asked what grade levels any new playground equipment would be geared toward.

From what he has found, Hoesing noted the playground equipment would be for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

“Obviously, older kids can use it,” he said.

One safety issue the board brought up was the number of children who could be on a playground structure at a time.

“What you’ll see on most of those structures is they’ll go bonkers on it for about a week and then it’ll kind of level out,” Hoesing said. “It’s a fairly big structure, but it’s a fairly big area.”

He noted that the playground equipment he has looked into does not offer much accessibility for kids who are blind or visually impaired.

Hoesing asked board members whether they would want to have a new playground designed with blind or visually impaired children in mind.

He added that he reached out to the Nebraska Department of Education’s Office of Special Education about his question as well and was told about possible financial resources.

“We might get some reimbursement for that,” Hoesing said of adding accessibility to new playground equipment. “Not a lot. I’m not going to say it’s a ton, but there is some.

“If there are some things that are just targeted towards that area, I could apply for some special ed reimbursement,” he said.

He again asked for input from board members on what they want to do as far as potentially purchasing new playground equipment.

“Do we want to keep kicking the can down the road or do we want to start getting something posted?” Hoesing asked. “Do we need to start talking to someone? We need to get something done there.”

He warned the board that new playground equipment would be expensive.

“This is as cheap as I’ve gotten,” Hoesing said, citing the two price quotes he received. “The other ones were all over six figures.”

Board members discussed possibly using funds from the Wausa Elementary Parent Council.

Part of the parent council’s mission is to enhance the school’s educational facilities and opportunities for its students that are not otherwise provided for in the school district’s budget.

“I would have to have a little bit of their input with this, too,” Hoesing said.

Board member Pepper West agreed.

“If you’re talking to the people that are out there at recess all the time, they’re going to have the knowledge of what the kids are liking,” she said.

There was discussion of possibly spreading out the cost of new playground equipment across a few monetary resources, such as school district, parent council and donated funds.

Hoesing recommended that the total cost of a project to have new playground equipment installed should be capped at $100,000.

The board gave Hoesing its blessing on the proposed project’s budget and the go-ahead to talk with the parent council and Wausa Community Foundation Fund about potential financial help with the project.