By Sterling McGinn
Significant safety concerns and vandalism in the playground at Tahquamenon Area Schools has left the board considering closing the playground for after-school-hours use.
The matter was discussed at the September 15 meeting of the TAS Board of Education, which took place at 6 p.m. in the board meeting room.
“As the elementary principal, I personally find it really difficult to have the playground open to the community after school hours,” said Kendra Feldhusen. “I can’t tell you the times we have found things out on that playground that are really unsafe for kids because they are coming from after hours.”
That list includes knives, vape pens, used condoms, and human feces, Feldhusen said.
The current playground equipment was installed in 2015 purchased from monies raised through community fundraising. The equipment replaced the former “Timbertown” which was built in the early 1990s.
But needed maintenance and destruction to the playground equipment is making school officials and board members consider keeping the playground exclusively for TAS students during the day.
A recent insurance inspection on the playground revealed that a number of parts were missing on some of the playground equipment, and other equipment was broken.
District Superintendent Shawn Tebo said that she received an estimate of nearly $8,000 from the playground equipment manufacture to repair the equipment.
“The most expensive piece of equipment, called a ‘boogie board,’ is $3,000,” Tebo said. “It has been purposely cut.”
Head custodian Brad Huffman told the board that urination has been a problem and he and his staff have to use peroxide cleaner almost daily. Vandals have chalked profanity on the brick building exterior.
“I know it is going to be a hot button because the community raised the money to have the equipment that is out there,” Feldhusen said. “It has been very well used and well appreciated, but we are at a point where it is time for some maintenance. If that comes at the cost of the district, I would appreciate some discussion and thought about not having it open to the community.”
Board member Veronica Edwards suggested polling the community on the topic. Tebo said she will develop a survey parents can take during parent – teacher conferences.
“I think for them to understand that the reason we are asking is because of the extent of the vandalism and the wear and tear,” Edwards said. “It is going to be a good chunk of money to bring it back up where it is a great place for the kids again.”
Tebo said that several exterior cameras owned by the district have never been set up. “That would take care of a lot of the problems where we can’t see people in certain points. That is something we will get done shortly,” Tebo said.
In other business, an offer has been extended to a candidate with 12 years of experience for the elementary principal position. However, the candidate is also a finalist for a position in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
If the candidate declines to take the position at TAS, the district will hire an interim principal and restart the search after the new year.
In other news, it was discovered that the school’s main internet hub is in old high school building, so power to the building cannot be cut off at this time.
Like the main heating and cooling control board, which had to be moved but was not part of the bond proposal, the internet hub will need to be moved to the newer portion of the facility at a significant cost.
The district plans to shut off heat and electricity in the building to save on costs, but the electricity can’t be shut off until the internet is moved. The cost of moving this could be as high as $30,000.
