After months of playing on concrete slabs, students at Alvin, Fairlawn, Ontiveros, and Tunnell elementary schools are now jumping, swinging, and climbing on new equipment.
On March 20, the Santa Maria-Bonita School District announced that construction, which started last summer, was finished at those four schools and that all of the district’s schools either have or are in the process of getting shade structures. Contract errors delayed the projects, but the school board approved new contracts last November, allowing construction to move forward starting over winter break.
“Over winter break, for the most part, our facilities department worked with the principals to make sure that their priorities were met,” Deputy Superintendent of Business Services Matt Beecher said. “Each of them elected to have their TK-K playgrounds first, so, to the extent possible, we worked on those to get them completed first.”
The funding for the playgrounds came from one-time funds, Beecher said—a mix of federal COVID-19 era funds, state learning recovery dollars, and discretionary arts and music grants. The projects updated playground equipment on the four school campuses as well as the material beneath those structures, replacing engineered wood fiber (which looks like big bark chips) with rubber tiles for fall protection.
“They’re both considered appropriate for fall protection and accessibility, but the wood fiber is more difficult for our students who may have disabilities with mobility to make their way through,” Beecher said. “Also, it creates a lot more debris around the perimeter of the playground.”
Wood fiber is also “consumable” and breaks down over time, needing to be replaced. He said while the material is less expensive, it requires more attention and maintenance than something like rubber tiles or pour-in-place recycled rubber.
Beecher said the district would like to replace wood fiber with rubber materials on more campuses, eventually, but those plans depend on future resources.
“These are big investments to make and require sacrifices for school sites,” he said adding that Alvin, Fairlawn, Ontiveros, and Tunnell had to wait months for their new playgrounds. “Overall, it makes a more pleasing environment and a better place for students to be active during their day.”
In addition to the shade structures and playground equipment, the district also installed a new 35,000-square-foot playing field at Bonita Elementary School using capital funds. Superintendent Darren McDuffie said the district is happy to be able to provide students with enhanced outdoor space.
“Our much-anticipated new school playgrounds and the turn field at Bonita Elementary demonstrate our commitment to creating enriching and safe environments where our students can play and thrive,” McDuffie said in a press release. “These facilities are an investment in the well-being and development of our students.”
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 6, 2025.
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