In the community, Schools

Officials call on community for new playground equipment in Adrian

The Adrian School District is seeking donations for new playground equipment.

Billy Wortman, principal of Adrian High School, said the district needs a little over $25,000 for slides, a jungle gym and padded ground at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex near the district’s elementary school.

Getting new playground equipment that is “inclusive” for all students is the final phase of a project that began in 2021 to update the facility, according to letter to the community from Wortman and Michelle Dudley, a district staffer.

The current playground is old and outdated and inaccessible for students experiencing a disability, according to Wortman.

Wortman said the complex is used for recess, physical education classes, high school softball games and youth sports, including football and soccer. It is also open to the public during non-school hours, Wortman said.

The upgrades made to the complex over the last four years have included, among others, a new softball and soccer field, new hoops for the basketball court and a new sprinkler system for the grassy area of the two-acre complex, the community letter noted.

The total cost of the project is $180,000. The district has funded it with contributions from the community, most of which has been done, the letter said. According to Wortman, the cost of the playground equipment is just under $70,000. The district received a $20,000 grant, the local Parent and Teacher Organization has earmarked $15,000 and about $9,000 has come in through donations and a grant. He said the district is looking to the community to help them collect a little over $25,000.

Wortman said the playground work is for the “youngest community members of all abilities” so that they have access to playground equipment, which the United Nations considers a fundamental right.

He said the nearest park with an accessible playground is 15 miles away. Students experiencing poverty, disabilities and minority students typically lack the resources to travel to those parks, Wortman said.

“We cannot stand idly by while outdoor play remains inaccessible for our children with disabilities and from underserved demographics in our area,” Wortman and Dudley said.

For more information on how to donate, call Wortman at 541-372-2335.

Jaxson Roos, 5, stands beside a slide at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. Jaxson is among the children in Adrian who officials with the Adrian School District are raising money for to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base so that he can play with his peers. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)
A child climbs onto the old equipment at the playground at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. The Adrian School District is raising money to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)
Children play on the teeter totters at the playground at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. The Adrian School District is raising money to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)
A youngster plays on the equipment at the playground at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. The Adrian School District is raising money to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)
A child glides down the slide at the playground at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. The Adrian School District is raising money to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)
Children play on the old equipment at the playground at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. The Adrian School District is raising money to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)
A child plays at the playground at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. The Adrian School District is raising money to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)
Children play at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. The Adrian School District is raising money to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)
Children play on the old equipment at the playground at the Adrian School and Community Recreational Complex. The Adrian School District is raising money to upgrade the complex with new equipment and a padded base. (ANGIE SILLONIS/Special to the Enterprise)

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