It’s a case of out with the old and in with the new.
Parents at Cape St. Claire Elementary School are in the midst of a massive fundraising effort to replace outdated playground equipment.
“It’s very old. It’s still solid, but very old,” said Yvonne Theriot Gazelle, a Parent Teacher Organization member. “We have over 100 kindergartners now and 30 minutes of recess a day.”
Principal Harry Zacharko said full-day kindergarten was phased in last fall, so a play period has made having new equipment necessary.
“I applaud their efforts — it’s certainly needed,” Zacharko said. “They’ve done a really good job planning and fundraising and I hope they continue doing it.”
The 23-year-old playground equipment, which is used primarily by kindergartners through second-graders, no longer meets safety and accessibility standards, PTO members say.
Parents say the community will have to pay for the equipment because not enough funds are available at the county level.
For several months, the PTO has been generating money through fundraising, direct donations from volunteers and also has been applying for grants.
In a recent fundraiser, local businesses donated gift cards and PTO members sold the chances to win them, Gazelle said.
The new equipment is not cheap and expected to cost at least $20,000, including installation, permitting and landscaping, Gazelle said.
So far, the PTO is just over halfway to its goal with $10,300 and hoped to have at least enough money to start the project in the spring.
“We?re using the playground a lot more now,” said kindergarten teacher Karen Callaghan. “But it also gets used by a lot of people in the community. Parents take their kids out here after school.”
