Snow Springs Elementary raising funds to repair aging playground equipment
Jace Bonk and Carer Luce sit atop the playground monkey bars as Landen Koenig dangles from them during recess at Snow Springs Elementary in Lehi on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. The school recently replaced old playground equipment that was deemed unsafe for play and is raising funds for the new equipment. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald
Jace Bonk plays on the monkey bars during recess at Snow Springs Elementary in Lehi on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. The school recently replaced old playground equipment that was deemed unsafe for play and is raising funds for the new equipment. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald
Students play on the monkey bars during recess at Snow Springs Elementary in Lehi on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. The school recently replaced old playground equipment that was deemed unsafe for play and is raising funds for the new equipment. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald
Students play on the playground during recess at Snow Springs Elementary in Lehi on Tuesday, April 19, 2016. The school recently replaced old playground equipment that was deemed unsafe for play and is raising funds for the new equipment. SAMMY JO HESTER, Daily Herald
After 16 years, the playground at Snow Springs Elementary School in Lehi has seen its fair share of climbing, running and sliding, and it was starting to show.
“That playground has had a lot of wear and tear,” said Shelley Shroeder, the school’s principal.
This year, the school has replaced a few pieces of playground equipment, like bridges, using a combination of district, school and hopefully PTA funds. In some places, the rubber covering the equipment had eroded away and it was collecting rust. To fix the exposed metal, crews replaced parts of the equipment last week, fixing what could have become a hazardous situation. Schroeder said no students were injured because of the state of the equipment.
Now, the PTA is hoping to raise some funds for the replacement. Some of the funds from its annual walk-a-thon fundraiser will go towards playground improvements.
“We are always looking for ways to improve our school and work together with teachers and parents to get it done,” said Corina Crutchfield, a member of the PTA, in an email.
Funds from previous walk-a-thons have gone to purchase a sidewalk and Google Chromebooks. The walk-a-thon also covers expenses for annual PTA programs.
As principal, Shroeder has previously worked on projects to beautify the front of the school, and her focus has now shifted to the back. Steps have been improved, basketball hoops will be replaced, some playground equipment will be added and basketball poles are getting blasted and repainted.
The playground project gives the walk-a-thon a narrower fundraising focus, something Shroeder said has made the fundraiser more effective than before.
“Since we started being very deliberate on what we are doing, we have increased in our support,” Shroeder said.
The school hopes to receive a few thousand dollars from the PTA for the playground project.
The walk-a-thon will be Friday at the elementary school. A morning walk begins at 9:30 a.m., and an afternoon one will start at 12:30 p.m.
