During the Public Comment session at tonight's BOE meeting, Moody PTA Treasurer Janice Drescher asked the BOE to fund a new playscape out of the Capital Funding account. Moody's playscape has been declared unsafe and it will be removed during the February school vacation week, but so far, no plans to replace it have been announced.
Ken Jackson, Director of Facilities, has said that money is available and he wants to replace Moody's playscape this summer. He estimated the replacement costs to be about $75,000-$80,000. Jackson also noted that Moody is the only elementary school in the District that hasn't had its playground updated.
BOE member Sally Boske told this reporter after the meeting that the playground "wasn't likely to happen" and that the PTA would probably have to fund the replacement through fundraising. PTA Treasurer Janice Frescher's response: "I have a real problem with this as a Middletown tax payer...all the other elementary schools have safe playgrounds, so why doesn't Moody?"
Given the current focus on childhood obesity and the push to get kids outside to play, it seems ridiculous that Moody can't get a new playscape. In fact, funds have been allocated for the last several budget cycles, but the money always disappears and the playscape hasn't been replaced. Never mind the fact that Moody's overcrowding situation has drastically affected where and how the children have recess: last year children were "scheduled" by grade as to what day of the week they could play on the playscape, and sometimes two weeks could go by without access to the playground.
Yes, the economy is tough these days, but there are some things that schools just have to have...teachers, students, books, desks, and a safe place to be a kid.
the swings at Farm Hill School are also deemed unsafe by the state of CT but kids still play there during recess.
ReplyDeleteThis is another example of how far downhill Moody school has gone. Kids have so very little time to be kids as it is, the lack of an opportunity to get out their energy will surely affect classroom behavior and productivity.
ReplyDeleteIf kids weren't as obese then MORE of them could play on the play ground at once.
ReplyDeletethis just makes my decision to homeschool a little bit easier, esp. given that we're in moody's district. 2 weeks without outside play at school?! i sure hope that is not true or a typo.
ReplyDeletestop your sobbing othe PTA's have rebuilt plygrounds throughout the city so stop wow is Moody cry and join the rest of us
ReplyDeletewhat is the definition of safe or unsafe? many "safe" or "updated" playgrounds have rubberized surfaces that have been made out of recycled tires and have later been found to emit toxic chemicals into the air that is the children's breathing space.
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