Local schools make improvements before next school year
CHILLICOTHE— School property during the summer can be quiet and empty, with no kids in the hallway and no teachers needing quiet times to lead a class. This is why many schools use the summer to make improvements to facilities.
Paint Valley Elementary School will see an upgrade to its playground. Upgrades include mulch being removed and replaced with pea gravel, new swing chains and new playground equipment.
After a presentation from fourth grade students to the board of education, the school will be adding a gaga pit to the playground. Gaga is a form of dodgeball that is typically played on an octagon-shaped court. During the presentation to the board students presented their research on how much the pit would cost.
At the Huntington athletic complex, the old home bleachers were removed and replaced with new ones. Huntington Superintended Pete Ruby said the old bleachers had not been upgraded since the complex was built and were needing to be repaired almost yearly to pass inspections. These new bleachers have a capacity of over 1,300 and feature 18 wheelchair-accessible seats so that everyone in the community can come and cheer on the Huntsmen. The district is also working to improve the parking near the complex by adding more spaces, better lighting and security cameras.
At the Huntington school, many areas that were once carpeted have been changed to tile. This helps reduce the number of tripping hazards in the school.
Pioneer School recently received an upgrade to their playground. The new playground features wheelchair assessable equipment, play stations that are lower to the ground and communication boards with words and pictures to help students and teachers better communicate.
Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Local schools make improvements before next school year
