×

Frankstown PTO plans playground

Volunteers sought for installation of equipment

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Frankstown Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization has secured $140,000 of new equipment for an all-ability playground for the school’s 660 students.

Nikki Hemminger, PTO playground committee member, said the process has been years in the making, with a PTO playground fund building up annually.

“We have kids vying over 12 swings, monkey bars and a slide for half an hour. The playground time isn’t as fun as it could be. And there is nothing — literally nothing — that was handicap accessible,” she said.

There’s another playground at the school, but it’s reserved for children of the federally funded Head Start program, she said.

The new playground structure can keep an entire classroom of kids active at recess, she said. It includes five slides, various things to climb on and bridges connecting the features.

“There are no taxpayer dollars coming into the project. We got grants and private donations and did bake sales,” she said. In addition, annual PTO budget surpluses were put in to a playground fund over the past five years, she said.

The Hollidaysburg Area School Board voted in a June meeting to gift the PTO the land on which the playground will be built. It was a formality required because technically the PTO is a separate nonprofit from the school and would otherwise be trespassing, Hemminger said.

“It’s been a process, and every time we turned around, it’s another hurdle,” Hemminger said.

Frankstown Elementary School acting Principal William Madden said the playground has been a long time in the making.

“The PTO and community came together and pulled off quite a bit,” he said. “And the kids are excited to have a new playground.”

The PTO is looking for about 30 volunteers to help install the playground in late July or early August, Hemminger said. To volunteer, email frankstownpto @gmail.com.

Mirror Staff Writer Russ O’Reilly is at 946-7435.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today