After a months-long delay due to contract errors, playground construction will begin at four Santa Maria-Bonita School District elementary schools while the students are on winter break.
The Santa Maria-Bonita school board unanimously approved contract agreements during its Nov. 13 meeting to build playgrounds at Fairlawn, Tunnell, Alvin, and Ontiveros elementary schools.
“Though the delay in playground structure installations wasn’t expected, our educators have once again demonstrated their incredible adaptability by finding creative and meaningful ways to fill the gap for students,” Santa Maria-Bonita Superintendent Darren McDuffie told the Sun in a statement.
The Santa Maria-Bonita School District allocated federal COVID-19 relief dollars to improve the playgrounds at Fairlawn, Tunnell, Alvin, and Ontiveros elementary schools. The outdated equipment was removed and new equipment was purchased over the summer with the goal of completing construction before school started.
However, the projects couldn’t go any further because bidders responding to Santa Maria-Bonita’s request for proposal didn’t make a substantial effort to involve businesses that employ people who are disabled veterans—a requirement when using federal dollars.
“Per the guidelines, we had to reject the bids and go out to bid [again] and make it even more clear of the guidelines that have to be met: proof you have to be using companies or people with disabled veterans. We need to know how you are trying to meet that guideline,” district Public Information Officer Maggie White told the Sun in a previous interview.
This time around, the bids met the guidelines. The contractors started the preliminary work, and the majority of the installation is planned for the end of December and beginning of January while the schools are closed for break, Superintendent McDuffie said in the statement.
“Thank you to our school staff members and amazing students for their patience, resilience, and creativity as they navigate the challenges of being without playground equipment,” he said.
The delays left the students at the four sites playing on concrete slabs for the first part of the 2024-25 school year. Each school site has more than 700 students, with Alvin Elementary having the largest population at 1,000 students. Tunnell follows with 920 students, and Ontiveros and Fairlawn have 882 and 716, respectively.
During public comment at the Oct. 23 school board meeting, faculty from several sites reported an increase in behavioral issues both on and off the playground because there was more competition for equipment, and students weren’t getting the needed mental release outside—which can make it hard to focus when they return to the classroom.
In response, faculty across the sites brought out soccer balls, basketballs, jump ropes, sensory games, arts and crafts stations, giant puzzles, and tricycles to help keep the students busy while they played during recess. The school district allocated an additional $11,000 to each site to replace equipment as it sees more wear and tear without a playground to balance out the demand.
“It’s been challenging for kids; they miss the equipment and they ask about the slides and the swings, but it’s going to be beautiful and worth it once it gets here,” Tunnell Elementary School Principal Theresa Diaz told the Sun in a previous interview.
This article appears in Nov 28 – Dec 8, 2024.
