Parents of Lafayette Students Launch Fundraiser for Playground

Pam Swain, PTO President of LUES. Courtesy Ricky Addy Photography.

In the fall of 2015, the parents of students in third, fourth and fifth grade at Lafayette Upper Elementary School (LUES) noticed that their children did not have an accessible playground and stepped in to help create one.

The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) at LUES takes a close look at the school’s needs every year, and in the fall semester of 2015, the parents discovered that the playground situation was an issue that needed to be addressed. The parents knew that schools across the state were underfunded; so, they took this project on themselves.

“We decided early on in this project that we didn’t want to go to the administration with this need,” said Pam Swain, PTO President. “Our education budgets are already being stretched and cut and we would rather those funds be used toward educational tools in the classroom.”

Currently the students at LUES have the option of using the playground at Lafayette Lower Elementary School, but the playground is at a great distance from LUES and the equipment is geared toward the younger students in kindergarten, first grade and second grade.

“LUES students, ranging in ages eight to 12, share a playground space with the Lafayette Lower Elementary School students,” Swain said. “This playground is at such a distance that the teachers don’t have enough time during recess to walk LUES students there, have ample play time and walk back.”

The playground at LUES will be installed in three phases and, to help save money, community volunteers will build each phase once the pieces arrive. The PTO has raised enough money to order phase one of the playground. The delivery and installation is scheduled for late October.

“Our next roadblocks will be completing the fundraising for phase two and three,” Swain said. “We would love to see phase two completed in the spring and our final phase installed in fall 2017.”

The PTO will need to raise between $40,000 to $50,000 to be able to complete the final two phases of the playground installation.

“By building this new playground, students will have a space close enough for them to utilize daily and with equipment more fitting of their size and mental advancement,” Swain said. “We are appealing to the parents to give and give generously to this cause because our kids need it.”

To donate to this cause visit https://www.generosity.com/education-fundraising/lafayette-upper-elementary-school-playground

Amy Goodin is a writer for HottyToddy.com. She can be reached at argoodin12@gmail.com.

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