By Gerri Miller
Elmore/Autauga News
SEE GRAPHICS FOR PLAYGROUNDS FOR ALL SCHOOLS BELOW.
This September 8,500 elementary school students in Elmore County will have new adaptive playgrounds that they all can enjoy regardless of their abilities; a dream Jason Mann has had for six years.
An adaptive playground allows kids with or without disabilities to access and use a variety of equipment. And play is critical for all children of all abilities to develop the emotional, social and creative thinking skills they’ll need when they’re adults. Play allows them to engage with their surrounding environment and with others in their community in a fun context.
Mann, chief financial officer for Elmore County Public Schools, worked hard to make this dream a reality, said School Superintendent Richard Dennis. “He was the driving force behind the effort and was instrumental in helping us get grants to make it happen,” Dennis said. “He’s got a passion for it and a wife who has brought it to his attention.”
Mann’s wife is Jessica Mann, who is the transition coordinator in the Special Education Central Office in Montgomery County Public Schools.
Mann said the school system was allocated a federal American Recovery Plan (ARP) IDEA grant of $500,000 and $343,055 of this money was allocated for the playground project. An additional $138,775 from remaining Alabama Technical Education Funds will be used to buy shade structures for the playgrounds called Hip Shades. Struthers Recreation, which makes GameTime equipment in Fort Payne, will be constructing the playgrounds.
Mann said the shade structures will help the equipment last longer and keep students out of the sometimes-sweltering Alabama heat. “It also makes the colorful paint last longer,” he said.
He said because the school system chose to go with Struthers for all of the equipment, the company plans to create borders and provide mulch surfacing at no extra charge to the county.
Each of the six elementary schools in the county were allocated a $60,000 budget and each P.E. coach and school administrators met with the company that designed the playground equipment. As a result, each playground is individually designed according to school needs. The playgrounds all include different equipment, from wheelchair ramps to rock climbing walls and accessible slides.
Schools that will have new adaptive playgrounds include Eclectic Elementary School, Redland Elementary School, Holtville Elementary School, Airport Road Intermediate School, Coosada Elementary School, and Wetumpka Elementary School.
Mann said the order has been placed and the playgrounds are to be completely installed in all schools by September 2022. He has a meeting with the company and the school system’s maintenance director concerning the start of site preparation for the new playgrounds. “We are hoping we will be able to do the site preparation ourselves,” he said. He said there will be a ribbon cutting for the project once it is completed.
Dennis said the project gives all students the chance to feel the same joy and excitement that a new playground often brings. “I have four children and I remember that whenever we saw a really nice playground, their excitement level would be through the roof,” he said. “This gives every child that same opportunity.”
Adaptive playgrounds are only one of Mann’s dreams. He also wanted to see the county have their own Special Olympic Team and that has become a reality. On April 19th, Elmore County will have its Second Annual Ability Games from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Wetumpka Sports Complex.
This event will allow all students in the Special Needs Program to participate in a day of fun and games. The event is sponsored by Special Education Adaptive P.E.
Mann also has dreams for the county’s middle and high schools. He said he wants to use the remainder of the ARP grant to buy adaptive equipment for middle schools and high school classrooms. More on these projects later as soon as they develop.
