Thursday, March 20, 2008 9:06 PM CDT
PTA seeking funding for new playground equipment
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — The single set of playground equipment at Mark Twain Elementary School isn’t enough for all its students, the Charleston school board heard Wednesday.
That’s why the Parent-Teachers Association that works with the school wants help from the board to pay for new equipment for the school.
Jenny Bellantoni, president of the joint PTA, which also works with Carl Sandburg and Jefferson Elementary schools, told the board that an old, wooden set of playground equipment at Mark Twain was removed at the start of the school year because Principal Terry Diss decided it wasn’t safe.
That left one set of equipment, which up to 80 students at a time try to use during recesses, Bellantoni said, so PTA members met with Diss and the school’s teachers to discuss a replacement.
“The play area they came up with is what kindergartners really enjoy doing,” she said. The PTA would be able to provide about $9,200, but wants the board to cover the rest of the cost, which totals about $17,000, she added.
The board didn’t vote on the request Wednesday because only the PTA’s presentation was on the meeting’s agenda while a vote on the request was not. Interim Superintendent Bill Hill also said it would be best for him to meet with Diss, and David Kuetemeyer, the district’s financial consultant, and Bill Richardson, building and grounds director, to make a recommendation for the board.
While the PTA had a set of playground equipment from a specific company in mind, Hill said legal requirements might mean the board would have to get bids for the purchase.
Bellantoni said the PTA didn’t expect the new equipment to be in place anytime during the current school year, but instead wanted to have it installed in time for the 2008-2009 year.
Meanwhile, in votes Wednesday the board rehired several teachers for the coming school year, and dismissed some nontenured teachers who should be rehired next year once it’s known that funding is available.
The board also renewed the contract of retired teacher Bill Monken to serve as the district’s energy program manager.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 348-5733.
Add your comments
Not already registered?
Then click Here.
Comment policy:
JG-TC.com encourages readers to engage in civil conversation with their neighbors. Comments that are submitted are not posted to the site immediately. They go into a queue to be moderated and may take several hours to be reviewed. Comments posted on Saturday may not be reviewed until Sunday afternoon.
In order to keep the page a set width, long lines (mostly long links) will be chopped. Try putting spaces in your links or consider using tinyurl.com to make a smaller link that you can include.
We will never edit or alter your comments, but we do reserve the right to remove comments that violate our code of conduct.
No comment may contain:
* Potentially libelous statements; such as accusing somebody of a crime, defamation of character, or statements that can harm somebody's reputation.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults, threats, harassment or inciting violence.
* Commercial product promotions.
If you have any questions, please contact our moderator.
|
|
|
