By Richard Kerns
Tribune Staff Writer
WESTERNPORT – Westernport Elementary School is still on track to receive a new playground, and while the economy has slowed the approval of grant funding from the Allegany County Baord of Education, Westernport is still “first in line” for the new play equipment, school officials said.
“We’re still waiting on the grant, they just haven’t released it yet,” said Westernport Principal Gary Stein. “The economy has really slowed things down.”
The new playground, with an estimated price tag of $150,000, will replace a splintering wooden structure that is more than 15 years old. In addition to regular use during the school day, the play area – situated next to the baseball/soccer field used by community groups — is also heavily used after hours and on the weekends, as Westernport’s biggest playground.
While the school system is picking most of the project cost, the school community is responsible for a 10 percent match. Over the spring months last year, boosters under the leadership of former Special Education teacher Megan Robinson raised nearly $12,000 through a penny drive, spirit nights at pizza restaurants, a yard sale, T-shirt sales, Martin’s Rewards points and individual donations.
Stein noted that all of the funds raised by the students and those in the community remain designated specifically for the playground.
“The money is safe,” he said. “It was put into a separate bank account designated for the playground.”
Although he has not been given a time-frame for approval of the grant, Stein said school board officials have assured him that Westernport Elementary will get the next new school playground.
While the playground has been little used through the winter months, with snow from the December storm still covering the play area, Stein is concerned about the state of the existing play set as spring approaches.
He’s hoping for good word soon on the grant funding, but in the meantime has arranged for school board officials to assess the existing play set to ensure that it is safe.
“The playground is getting so old, we have a lot of problems,” the principal said. “Bees are starting to harbor in the old wood.”
If school officials find problems, the old set may have to come down before the new one is built, temporarily leaving the school without a playground.
Hopefully, that will be a non-issue. When the grant funding comes through, construction of the new set should take a matter of days. “It will be a reality,” Stein said. “We just have to be patient.”