On several broiling July days in 2011, community volunteers graded land, poured concrete, raked mulch, and built a new playground at the elementary school. The shiny equipment included swings, a tunnel slide, a climbing structure, and more. Voters at the 2011 Annual Town Meeting had approved about a third of the $193,000 price tag for the project, but much of the money came from donations large and small.
Given the community sweat and spirit that went into the playground, Superintendent Linda Dwight said she was pleased to learn the equipment can be re-installed in a different location when the new elementary school is complete. Hildreth Elementary School Principal Josh Myler consulted with Miracle, the playground manufacturer, and learned that having one of its certified installers move the equipment would preserve its warranties, as well as ensuring that safety standards were met.
Dwight told the School Committee earlier this month that re-using the playground equipment would save about $100,000. It would also be “greener” than scrapping structures that could well last another 20 years.
“The community invested in that equipment—we have respect for that,” Dwight said.
