Prescott Middle School Upgrading Playground

Prescott South Middle School’s playground is receiving upgrades.

Former PTO President Stacey Hardison said the old playground was in need of renovation because it would often take days before students could use it after rain due to water buildup that would leave the surface uneven. She said the project will be broken into three phases, and phase one will address this issue.

“When the new Prescott was built just over 10 years ago the playground equipment wasn’t replaced with new, it was brought over from Prescott Central,” Hardison said. “Once we complete phase one of our plan, students will have a much larger place to play, even after it rains.”

Hardison said the next two phases will be to replace the existing mulch with turf and to add new equipment including basketball goals and ADA-compliant swings. She said renovating the playground is important for student’s health both physically and mentally.

“We often see the quiet student letting loose on the playground, smiling, running, and interacting with their peers, whereas in the classroom they may be very quiet, reserved, or sometimes even withdrawn,” Hardison said. “It’s a happy escape for them.”

Hardison said funding for the project came from school fundraising events, and donations and sponsorships from local businesses. She said over $52,000 has been raised for the project over the past 2 years.

“Without the help from these businesses, we would not have been able to already broken ground,” Hardison said.

Hardison said they broke ground in April, and the plan is for work to continue throughout the summer to have the playground completed in time for the upcoming school year.