Union Grove Elementary School has made a generous donation to the Village of Union Grove. The school’s ADA-compliant playground equipment, which is currently being disassembled, is being gifted to the village.
The price of playground equipment
Playground equipment can cost between $300,000 to $400,000, especially if it includes ADA-compliant pieces. Village of Union Grove President, Steve Wicklund, shared that none of the parks within the Union Grove area currently have ADA-compliant playground equipment. Through the school’s generosity, the Union Grove community will be able to enjoy the school’s used playground equipment, which includes pieces that are accessible to people with a variety of abilities.
“This will be a source of fun for the handi-capable,” said Wicklund, acknowledging how beneficial this donation is to the Village of Union Grove. The reinstallation of the equipment will cost between $40,000 and $50,000 Wicklund estimated. At this time, there is neither a location nor timeframe set for the playground equipment’s installation.
The Union Grove Elementary School will receive new playground equipment that will be ready to use for the 2022-2023 school year. The Union Grove Ponies completed their last day of school on June 1 this year.
“We are just happy they thought of us,” Wicklund said of the kind gesture from the school.
Scott Katterhagen, the Facilities Director for the Union Grove School District, was instrumental in moving this process along. The idea to repurpose and reuse the equipment was a conversation that started about 6 months ago.
The playground equipment is being removed from the school grounds and will make its way into a storage facility at the Department of Public Works until the next step is determined. The 2022 Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (CORP) will review the steps moving forward and help determine the next course of action.
Wicklund is excited about the future of the Village of Union Grove’s parks. He said the transformation will “give our kids with disabilities the chance to play on the same playground; they don’t have to be segregated.”
Schools
The Racine County Eye, which includes the Kenosha Lens, is your source for local news that serves our diverse communities. For more K-12 and college education news, check out our Schools section. Subscribe today to stay up-to-date with local news.
Follow us on Facebook: Racine County Eye or Kenosha Lens, and Twitter to make sure you get the latest news.