Where Do The Children Play?

This is what greeted my sister last week when she went to work. My sister is a principal of an elementary school with a staff of about 65 and 350 students. Teachers are scheduled to report to work Aug 15 with the first day of class Aug 21.

This mess is the result of construction being done to a school administrative building next door to the school. The dirt area was, prior to being ripped up, the north play area at her school. The playground was blacktop and there were several painted games on the surface such as hopscotch and several poles and baskets for ball games. Obviously the play equipment was ripped out when they tore up the blacktop. Does this mean the construction company and/or the school district is going to provide NEW playground equipment?

The doors leading to this play area are also fire exits – and the sidewalk is part of the handicapped accessible entrance. Obviously there is no longer access to a handicapped entrance and the area, a construction site, is not suitable as a meeting area for children in event of fire.

Students in the building are pre-kindergarten to 4th grade. Just how easy is it going to be to keep kids that age from heading right for the ‘dirt pile?’ And there are plenty of dirt piles, including a PIT where they had to dig out the old boiler heating units for the building next door.

The brick building in the bacck is the school building.

Seems to me someone in school administration or on the school board failed to read or understand the contract and specifications adequately; the construction company did as they darn well pleased regardless of the specifications; or, there are a whole lot of folks that just didn’t give a damn!

As I see it, there are less than 15 days to get that area resurfaced suitable for children to play, replace the missing activity equipment, repair the handicapped accessible entrance way and clean up the construction site adequately for the safety of children. I wonder when the Fire Marshall is scheduled to inspect the building for readiness and safety.

"I know we've come a long way,
We're changing day to day,
so tell me, where do the children play?"
     ~~ Cat Stevens, 1970