Superintendent Dr. Katie Ralston gave an update at the latest Board of Education meeting, stating the work will likely begin between today and Monday.

“It feels crazy that we’re at this time. It’s time for the Capital Project to begin,” Ralston said. “We’ve been talking about this for quite some time.”

In the coming days, temporary fencing and dedicated staging areas will be set up, along with an access road to allow for construction to begin.

Throughout the process leading up to the Capital Project vote, Ralston consistently billed the project as a way for the entire community to benefit from the district’s facilities. The playground is a major example of that, and the district has scheduled accordingly. With the work now set to begin, the anticipated completion date is late June. The district wanted its new playground to be available to the public during the summer, even though it takes away from its own access throughout the rest of this school year.

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“That was a really important date for us,” Ralston said. “We intentionally did the playground first so that it wasn’t something that started at the end of summer. … It’s going to be exciting to reveal this playground before summer starts.”

Parkitects was awarded the bid for the new playground at just under $1 million. The substantial upgrades include a knight-themed entryway with cutout knights for students to pose with for photos, as well as castle-themed towers.

Inclusivity is a focal point of the new playground, as the existing ledge and wood chip surface will be replaced with a rubberized surface to increase safety and enhance accessibility for all guests, but especially for individuals with walking devices or wheelchairs.

The playground will also feature a communication board with pictures and words for nonverbal children to utilize to communicate with other children or adults. The suggestion came from Director of Special Education Megan Cook, and the pictures and words will be chosen by the Special Education Department.

“That’s an addition I’m really proud for us to have,” Ralston said.

The playground is intentionally separated into two sections to allow for different age groups to enjoy simultaneously. It also includes turf mounds for children to safely roll down or climb up a hill.

Color schemes mimic water, bridges, and grass, while avoiding using the color black because of how hot it gets in the sunlight. There are also covered seating areas to provide shade for guests during the warm weather.

Ralston, who graduated from Vanderbilt University as a Doctor of Education in Organizational Learning and Leadership, believes that time for play is essential for the development of young minds. She shared a quote with the Board of Education that defined play as “an essential part of early learning” and “the lifeblood of the learning process.” Ralston highlighted that cognitive abilities, creativity, and socio-emotional skills, such as confidence, cooperation, negotiation, sharing, empathy, and proper communication are all developed and supported by a child’s time to play.

“It’s a key component for our entire community, not just the school,” Ralston said.

In its entirety, the Capital Project is the largest in the school’s history at a total cost of $36.1 million. The project improves facilities throughout the district, both inside the walls of the school and outdoors. The interior of the school will see substantial upgrades to the auditorium, the pool, and many classrooms, while outdoors, a multi-sport “super field” will be constructed behind the school, just beyond the area for the new playground.

Pertaining to the next Capital Project, an annual Capital Outlay Exception Project, the Board of Education recently approved a bid from Corporate Flooring Innovations, Inc., of Bergen, NY in the amount of $82,400 for necessary flooring improvements throughout district facilities. Corporate Flooring Innovations was the lowest responsible bidder as the bids were opened on Feb. 11. CPL: Architecture-Engineering-Planning advised the district to accept the bid.