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Group formed to preserve Poland playground
POLAND
The school board will review a proposal to save a playground the board had been prepared to turn into a green space.
Community members have come together to form Community Friends to Save the North Elementary Playground, a group dedicated to “restoring and preserving the playground for the children of the North Elementary neighborhood,” according to the proposal discussed at a board meeting Monday.
The group hopes to raise $50,000 to maintain and improve the playground.
The group formed after the board moved forward with a plan to sell the playground equipment at the North building, which previously was an elementary school. It now is home to the district’s preschool and after-school programs.
After a Mahoning County Health Department inspection identified safety issues with the playground equipment, school district officials originally decided that, given the district’s constrained finances, it would be best to sell the equipment rather than invest in repairs or replacements.
Some community members protested the plan, arguing the playground is a vital asset for children who live on the village’s north side.
School officials have since expressed a willingness to work with the community group on a plan to keep the playground there.
In its proposal, the Community Friends group stated it plans to fix or replace a slide, bridges, the rubber track surface and other items in need of repair. The group also plans to scrape and paint the playground’s metal equipment.
The group, which is led by an eight-person committee, plans to register as a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization.
The committee’s goal is to raise the necessary funds by April 2018 and complete the project by May, according to its proposal.
Judy Young, a retired high-school physical education/health teacher who serves on the committee, told the board the group is confident it can reach its fundraising goal and recruit volunteers to do some of the work.
While the board seemed open to considering the committee’s proposal, board member Dr. Larry Dinopoulos brought up some social media posts from one of the committee members in which the person lambasted the board’s leadership.
“We’re more than willing to work with you guys, but this kind of stuff has got to stop,” he said.
Young agreed. “We have to be positive on the whole thing, because we have to work together,” she said.
The board must approve a partnership with the group before work can begin.