Committee working on details of Owen School playground equipment

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
A committee of educational professionals has been created to review a survey on play equipment being taken by fifth- and sixth-grade students at Owen Intermediate School.
On Sept. 8, during the work/study session of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, Owen Principal Jeff Moore and Director of Building and Grounds James Williams reviewed the timeline of events concerning the play equipment for Owen, starting from when parents approached the board in June to the present.
Amy O’Brien, a parent in the audience, said they thought the report was concise and showed a forward-moving path, even if it was slower that what the parents were hoping for.
[Since the Independent had to leave for another meeting, O’Brien reported what happened at the Sept. 8 meeting.] O’Brien reported Principal Moore said that a survey was created to be filled out by the kids to make sure that they are provided with structures that they will actually play on.
To review this survey, he has created a committee of educational professionals – teachers, a social worker, the physical education teacher and himself.
No parents are involved in order to keep personal interests out of the discussion, he said.
From this committee a decision will be made as to what will be provided, he said. This information will then be given to the PTSO.
Aside from the committee, the unused equipment at Haggerty School is being looked at for repurposing at Owen. They have some leftover equipment that is not suitable for the pre-schoolers at Haggerty and may be better used at a 5/6 building.
Williams will review this possibility.
With regards to use of sinking funds that the parents said was proposed and then rejected by the district, the parents were told all agencies questioned – legal, Plante Moran, and auditors) — said that because playground equipment is defined as “furnishings” in the language of the law, the sinking fund cannot be used to purchase play equipment.
O’Brien said the parents were told that the confusion comes because sinking funds can be used for installation, but not purchase of playground equipment.
Parents were told to think of the situation as “parts and labor.” The sinking fund doesn’t cover parts, but it could cover labor.
School Board President Brent Mikulski said on Tuesday, “We have not concluded the use of our sinking funds can be used for installation, as we have not received verification if these funds could be used for installation or labor of playground equipment.”
Parents said they expect further discussion in this direction will take place once equipment has been decided.
Parents had come to the school board in June with a well-documented presentation on the importance of recess to children the ages of 11 and 12, who are at Owen.
O’Brien pointed out that students in this age range are still growing. Asking them to sit all day long (with their growing pains and twitching muscles) cannot be healthy, she said.
Recess is a wonderful answer to this situation, parents had agreed.
When school resumed in September, students were allowed an outdoor break after lunch, but parents bemoaned the fact that there was no play equipment at Owen for their children.
Parents had cleaned up the playground for the students, but now play equipment was needed, they said.